Ykoto: Guess the Author Contest
by GypsyxBells
Summary: The Midorikawas live peacefully with the creatures of the sea. The Fujiwaras hunt with wolves. The Ikisatashis enter battle wearing skins of cats. Yet the heart of each tribe holds something the others have been searching for all along. AU - KxI PxL TxP
1. Contest Details

Yes, a contest. :3

As the name implies, it involves some guessing on your part. A group of four authors (all four of them very talented, I might add) from the Tokyo Mew Mew fandom plus myself have banded together in a sort of Dream Team (heh x3) to write a collaborative fanfic and to host this contest.

This fic will attempt to feature each of our personal favourite pairings and will (hopefully) have equal helpings of action, drama, romance, angst and fluff. (We're all really excited about the story and can't wait to get really into writing it. ^^) But enough about the fic; let's move on to the basis for the contest.

Contest Description

The idea behind this whole endeavour was that each author has a distinct style of writing. We are curious as to exactly how different each of these styles is. So, here's where you lovely people come in:

Each chapter of the fic will be written by one of the five authors in the group (the full list of participating authors will be provided below :3). Your job, as each chapter is published, is to guess which of the five authors wrote the last chapter (new installments of the story as well as all updates about the contest will be posted as new chapters here). We will not necessarily be writing in the same order each time, but each author will end up writing around the same number of chapters. Each person will have one guess per chapter. The answers of which author wrote which chapter will all be revealed at the same time once the story has been completed and fully published and everyone has had time to complete their guesses. All guesses will then be tallied, and the person with the most correct guesses overall will be the winner.

Rules

As I mentioned before, each person can only submit one guess per chapter, so think carefully before you post your guess on the reviews page (taking a look other fics by each of the participating authors to get an idea of their style of writing might be a good idea), and make sure that if you also want to review a chapter, you include your guess with your review. We'd suggest that you don't share your guesses with each other as it descreases everyone's chances of winning and admittedly takes most of the fun out of it. Once the final chapter of the fic has been published, we will set a deadline; guesses will only be accepted up to this deadline. Any guesses submitted after the deadline will not be counted.

Prize

Aforementioned winner of the contest will receive a oneshot written for them by any of the authors that helped write the contest fanfic (you can pick one of us or all, or leave the decision as to who writes it up to us). You will be allowed to choose the pairing, setting, theme – basically any aspect of it you wish, or leave the plot entirely up to us.

Participating Authors

And now, presenting our 'Dream Team' (in alphabetical order):

**Essence of Gold**

**GypsyxSilent **(me x3)

**Kiichigo-chan**

**Saba's Reflection**

**True Colours**

The author we've elected to go first is working on the first chapter as we speak, so expect updates soon. As mentioned before, all five of us are very excited to be writing this fic together, and we hope all of you decide to take part in this contest and have fun with it. ^^

Happy guessing!

~Gypsy


	2. Chapter One: Smoke

**A/N: Hey guys! Gypsy here. So, this is chapter one. ^^ You may be rather confused as to what's going on while reading this, so here's a brief description of the story: This is an AU fic. The main characters from Tokyo Mew Mew are hunter-gatherers living in the wild, divided into tribes. There are five tribes, each based on one of the animals the Mews were infused with the genes of in the canon; the Sea tribe, the Bird tribe, the Wolf tribe, the Cat tribe and the Monkey tribe. The people of each tribe have a close kinship to the animal their tribes are based on, and they have developed some of the same abilities as these animals. I.e. swimming well, hunting well, climbing well, gracefulness, stealth, heightened senses of smell and hearing, etc. That's all I can tell you without revealing too much of the plot. :P **

**Oh also, we'll be doing a quote before each chapter. Here is the first one:**

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"There is no smoke without fire." ~Anonymous

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**And now, chapter one.**

**Chapter One: Smoke**

It was misty in the gorge. From away downstream the sound of crashing surf suggested a fresh breeze blowing off the sea, but here the high cliff-walls sealed the river in perfect calm. Splashes of dripping and flowing water echoed from cliff to cliff, emphasising rather than breaking the silence. All was quiet, expectant. The stillness before morning.

The vapour swirled as a boy sprang from the bank and landed on one of the many stepping stones in the river. He crouched for a moment, perfectly still, trying to quiet his breathing as he scanned the water. The translucent black stream slid past, smooth and uninterrupted. The boy waited. Then there was a sudden splash and chirrup, and a brown head broke the surface before the rock. A sea otter.

The boy had jumped sharply at the creature's abrupt appearance; now he relaxed and grinned. The otter watched him for a moment with bright, inquisitive eyes. Then it gave another chirp, turned tail and dived, swimming downstream.

"Thanks, friend," the boy murmured, touching his fingers briefly to the tribe mark on his collarbone. Then he jumped to his feet and followed.

The otter swam on until it reached the place where the river left the gorge and spread out into a series of wide, still pools, each trickling slowly towards the sea. There it took up its station on a smooth rock overlooking the water. The boy squatted on the gravel opposite it and waited.

A bird twittered somewhere away towards the land, and the fog began to turn silvery as it was lit from above with sunlight. The sigh of the waves moved in time with his breath, lulling him, keeping him patient. The otter was so still that it might have been a part of the slick black rock on which it sat. And then suddenly, he saw the minute change in stance...

The otter dived, there was a flurry and splash, and a dark shape went streaking away underwater. The boy lunged forward with his spear, and where the otter had missed, he hit home. When he raised the spear, a splendid silver fish was flopping on the end of it.

"Thanks!" he exclaimed again. The otter was watching him expectantly. Swiftly he hacked off the head, along with a respectable amount of flesh, and tossed it across the pool. The otter darted forward and snatched it, looked at him for a moment and then vanished swiftly among the rocks.

"Hoy! Masaya!"

The boy turned, searching until he spotted the shadowy figure approaching through the mist.

"Kisshu," he returned, waving his arm. "I caught a fish!"

"Woot!" the other boy cheered, tossing the stick he carried up into the air and catching it again. As he crossed the stony river the boy named Masaya fell into step beside him, and they emerged together onto the beach, already bright and golden with morning.

"Where'd you find it?" Kisshu asked as they strolled along the beach, searching for somewhere comfortable to sit down.

"In one of the pools back there. An otter led me on to it."

"D'you reckon it was trapped there after high tide? If the otter knew about it, that suggests it's maybe more than a one-off."

"Maybe. Either way, we should look again tomorrow."

"Yup. What is it?"

"Sea bass, I think," Masaya answered, steering them towards a log of driftwood. He sat down, set the fish across his knee and began scraping at the scales with his knife. "If it is, it definitely won't have come down the river, but if there's a shoal of them around then they might be getting trapped in the tide pools quite a lot, like you said. More than a one-off."

Kish opened his mouth to answer, but they were interrupted by a shout from the cliff.

"Masaya! Kisshu!"

Kish craned his neck back, shading his eyes and squinting up at the cliff. "Minto? What are you doing over our side of the range this early?" he yelled.

"And will I be making a habit of it, because if I did it would be all your dreams come true," the girl replied. "Sorry, Kisshu. I'm looking for Retasu; have you boys seen her?"

"Gomen, Minto-san, I was up early," Masaya said. "I haven't seen –"

"And what exactly are you planning to shoot with that bow here on the beach?" Kish cut in.

"A brace of Midorikawa boys," Mint said darkly. Kisshu raised his eyebrows and Masaya blushed.

Mint slung the bow across her back and picked her way to the edge of the cliff.

"Minto, you will break your neck," Kisshu remarked as she began to climb.

"No Bird breaks anything," Mint retorted. "I'm looking for Retasu because she's still got my shell necklace that I lent her for the Roe Moon festival, and I want it back."

"Not like Retasu to withhold other people's possessions," Kisshu said musingly.

"Just like her to be forgetful though," Mint returned, dropping down onto the sand and strolling over. "Hey, that's a big fish, Masaya."

"You can come to our camp tonight to help him eat it, if you like," Kisshu offered. Masaya elbowed him furtively in the ribs, and Kisshu stomped on his toe. Mint looked away from the tussling boys, turning her face into the wind that had veered round and was blowing from the cliffs. There was a faint taste of woodsmoke carried on the breeze.

Lettuce jumped a narrow streamlet and headed for the stand of trees that marked the start of the forest. She had come partly because she knew that there was fruit to be had at this time of year, partly to enjoy some time alone and partly in the hope of meeting someone.

She pushed her way deeper into the undergrowth, moving quietly out of habit but not troubling to look around or to listen too carefully. Large predators were scarce here, and the land for fifteen miles around was the territory of the Midorikawas – the Sea people – and their allies the Aizawas. Anybody she might meet here was a friend, even if they didn't belong to either tribe.

She came out into a clearing and suddenly smiled. Skipping in the sunshine was a small, yellow-haired girl.

'"Purin-san!" Lettuce called, stepping forwards. The girl spun round, beamed in response and came bouncing over.

"Retasu-'nee-chan!" she exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here this morning?"

"I was gathering fruit," Lettuce answered. "You know there isn't much tasty that grows right out on the cliffs, so I have to take advantage of the season while I can. I'm about ready for a rest now, though. Want something?"

The two girls sat down with their backs against a tree and Lettuce chose two of the best fruits she had gathered and passed one to Pudding. They munched in silence for a while, and then Lettuce said:

"We've had good hunting in my village these past few days. What about you?"

"I like this time of year," Pudding said with her mouth full. "There's plenty to eat on every bush."

"Hai." Lettuce nodded, then reached into her bag and produced a parcel of oilcloth that she'd placed at the bottom. It contained several strips of dried meat.

"We've been smoking it with juniper wood," she said. "I think it makes it taste quite different. Aromatic. Try some."

Pudding took a strip and tore it in half with her teeth. Lettuce didn't miss the reigned-in eagerness in her eyes. She took the other half and put it into her cheek, and they chewed in companionable silence.

"Good?" Lettuce asked after a while.

"Mmmmm," Pudding nodded, champing industriously.

"I thought you'd like it," Lettuce said, her voice coming out muffled around her mouthful. "You can take the rest of that, if you like."

"Oh no, onee-chan," Pudding said. "There's enough for days there."

"Honestly, Purin, we can easily spare it," Lettuce insisted. "It would only go bad if we tried to store it all." Pudding was staring at the meat, her brow furrowed. _Take it,_ Lettuce thought, _please just take it._

"I have something for you too, onee-chan," Pudding said at last.

"Something for me?"

"Hai. Hang on a minute..." Pudding began to rummage in a pocket on her leggings, and then her hand came out curled round something made of shell and beads.

Lettuce leaned closer to examine it. It was a small scallop shell, polished clean to reveal its gleaming marble of brown and white. Three bright feathers hung down from it, and between them were strands of beads: seeds dyed red and green. Pudding held it out to her, so she took it and turned it over. The back was fitted with a slim wooden pin, carefully whittled, that would allow her to clasp it into her hair. She could imagine how much time and effort must have gone into making it.

"Arigatou, Purin-chan," she whispered. "It's...it's beautiful."

"It's fair, ne?" Pudding said. "You share your food with me often, so I thought I'd –"

A monkey shrieked in the branches above, and Pudding froze.

"Nani?" Lettuce choked. The other girl's eyes had changed. Suddenly the laughter was gone, and they were full of shock and – Lettuce peered closer – anger.

"Purin-san?" Lettuce wavered.

Pudding hissed something incomprehensible, turned and vanished into the tree.

Lettuce felt utterly at a loss. She looked up at the thick canopy of leaves, wondering, not for the first time, whether she had really happened across Pudding or whether the young girl had allowed herself to be seen. It was more than possible; look at the way she had disappeared into that tree. And she would have to be good at woodcraft, to live out here as easily as she appeared to, completely alone...

"Smoke, na no da!"

Lettuce jumped as Pudding suddenly reappeared above her, balancing on a branch as though it were the easiest thing in the world.

"Nani?" she said again, beseechingly.

"Smoke on the horizon, na no da!" Pudding repeated, in the same fierce undertone.

"S-smoke?" Lettuce stammered. "Purin-san, people are always lighting fires at this time...my tribe, or the Aizawas –?"

"It's not _coming_ from the Aizawas!" Pudding growled. "Over that way. North."

"North?" Lettuce scrambled to her feet and swung herself into the tree. She was a careful climber, and Pudding swarmed up ahead of her and was waiting impatiently when she reached the crown of the tree and poked her head up out of the leaves.

"There," Pudding said. Lettuce turned in the direction she indicated, her ribbons, long and magnificent in a female, unfurling from under her hair. Air wasn't as dense as water; no vibrations passed through it that could tell her anything useful. But she could taste the scent on the wind clearly enough, feeling it on her ribbons and in her nose at the same time as she saw it.

Smoke, curling up from the horizon, away inland across the plains.


	3. Chapter Two: Fire

**Hey guys! This is chapter two, as you may have gathered. :3 Good luck in submitting your guesses and we hope you're enjoying the story so far. :3 **

**Note: This hasn't happened so far, but we're concerned about people including the reason for their guess with in their review. Just so no one changes their guess because of something someone else said, or someone discovers some telltale sign as to which author wrote the chapter, please limit your review to your guess only, and then any questions/comments about the plot you would usually include. Thanks! ^^**

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"From a little spark may burst a mighty flame." - Dante Alighieri

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**Chapter 2: Fire**

It was a peaceful morning for the tribe; a few dogs lazed about with their bones and several children scampered about in the fresh morning light. They were not planning to continue their journey today, since Deep Blue had said they were approaching their destination and had bid them set up a temporary camp. Pai sat by a small campfire outside of his tent, watching the great grey plume from the Ikisatashi camp undulating slowly in the distance.

The clan chieftain's sensitive ears picked out the even padding footsteps of a runner approaching. He turned to see Zakuro, clad in her deerskin running tunic, sweat glistening on her brow. She must have made good time, because normally her pace didn't push her to break a sweat; or perhaps it was just the growing heat of the spring day.

"Greetings, sister. What news?" Pai asked Zakuro when she drew close. "Is Deep Blue pleased with our progress?"

Zakuro shook out her violet hair and took a seat next to him beside the small campfire. A low, rumbling growl sounded from a nearby thicket and a large gray wolf loped into the clearing. The great animal approached Zakuro and took a seat next to the tribe's second-in-command, head held proudly. She had a noble and friendly demeanour, at least when Zakuro wasn't in trouble.

"Hello, Suika," the violet-haired woman greeted, stroking the silky fur and letting out a smile. Pai cleared his throat, anxious for news.

"Deep Blue-sama sends his greetings and he says to inform you that our tribes will be staying here at least until after the midsummer festival. He is pleased with the land here." Pai stretched his legs out in front of him, considering this. His sensitive nose picked out the fresh scent of a sea breeze on the morning air; they had to be nearing the ocean now, after all the effort made in travelling this spring. As soon as the northern mountains had been touched by the spring thaw, Deep Blue had made good on his alliance with the Fujiwaras and invited them to join the Ikisatashis on their journey south.

"Is that all?" Pai prompted.

"No. He has also requested a scout and two others to report to his camp for reconnaissance of the next leg of our journey. He says" - Zakuro looked slightly amazed at this- "that there are signs of other settlements within a 25 mile radius."

"So we're close then." Pai nodded slowly, thinking. There had been rumours of other tribes, half-forgotten stories…

He sighed. "We really can't afford to lose three of our hunters right now. Food has been harder to hunt for on the unfamiliar terrain, you know that."

"What if we send Yuzu? She's a good scout, but we can spare her as a hunter."

Pai considered this, but pointed out, "Since Yuzu's husband was killed last winter in the confrontation with the West Peak pack, she's had no one to help her feed little Natto."

Zakuro picked at some of the beaded braids in her hair, looking resigned and vaguely frustrated. She was no different from anyone else in the tribe; she was waiting for the winter that would come with no casualties, from hunger or conflict.

"She's not the only one. If we let Natto stay with the Homanjus for the week, can we spare Yuzu to the Cats for a couple days?"

Pai agreed, "Yes. That will work. And we'll send Shio as well. He's got no mouths to feed, at least for now."

Zakuro gave a wry grin. It was no secret that he had been trying to get the attention of another female in the tribe for the past few months now. They would be bonded within the coming season if he had his way.

"He just needs to find the right woman, ne?" Zakuro responded carefully.

Pai nodded absentmindedly, most likely calculating the probability of finding small game in the area with the reduced amount of hunters.

_It's about time for you to find the right woman too, Pai._

Zakuro had been waiting for years, but apparently none of the women in the tribe had caught his eye. He was an excellent leader, strong and practical, but at times he seemed almost oblivious to the people around him. He had almost twenty-five winters under his belt, for crying out loud! It was no wonder that he was the tribe chieftain, but sometimes, she worried that her brother might be missing out on some of the truly important things.

"Zakuro-san, I think I should go as well. It's about time I consulted with Deep Blue again, and if he requires a scout-" Pai gave an almost-smile- "I'm sure I can do the job."

This was simple modesty; in truth, the young man could move as silently as a shadow when needed.

Pai stood and strode to his tent nearby, grabbing his wolf-skin vest for the trip to the Ikisatashis. It would not do to look overly casual when he met with Deep Blue.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I know you can look after the clan till then. Would you please find Yuzu and Shio for me, and bid them follow as fast as they can?"

Zakuro touched her fist to her stomach, then spread her fingers wide in the tribal gesture of greeting and dismissal.

"Arigatou, Pai-kun, and hai. Safe running and safe hunting to you," she added formally.

Pai nodded and broke into a loping gait, pausing to pat the head of a youngster running in the opposite direction. Zakuro flicked a braid out of her eyes and watched him disappear into the forest, then rose to find the other two scouts, Suika sniffing the air beside her.

Pai began to run, his tribe disappearing behind him as he leapt through the undergrowth. This forest was harder to navigate, what with the thicker tree growth and temperate foliage, but even so it was a grateful change to focus just on running. He let his mind sink into the sounds and smells and sights. The even strides of his feet against the forest floor, the fainter rustling of his companions approaching behind him, and the noontide sun rising higher, beating down on his chest, were wonderful to him. His people would soon claim this land as their own; they would claim it as their home.

Deep Blue paced before the ceremonial bonfire, brooding. The festival was soon, and they were drawing near to the other settlements; they would celebrate the season, then press on to the plentiful territories ahead. He had already let them light the traditional fire here, anyway. Though, he thought sceptically, it was still pathetically small for the festival. The flames were barely flickering at shoulder height. He would send the other two Wolves to gather wood with Mugi, or maybe Ichigo…

His thoughts trailed off as he heard the approach of one of his warriors and her charges, the soft footsteps reaching his sharp ears before even her scent did.

"Deep Blue-sama," the messenger began. "Here's the scout group from the Fujiwaras." The tall figure turned to face his messenger and her charges, his long hair and obsidian pelt swinging behind him.

"Excellent."

The girl who had led them to the heart of the Cat's encampment gave a small bow and stepped back, scarlet hair dancing in the breeze. Pai could feel the anxiety radiating from his companions; they were not used to the cold tribe leader. Truth be told, he was a shocking sight, what with his piercing eyes and panther-skin cloak. Pai had only heard rumours of his acquisition of that pelt; no other warrior in the Ikisatashi tribe had bested one of those deadly hunters in known history- or been reckless enough to take one on. If a warrior wore a mountain lion skin or snow leopard pelt then that was a sign of strength and ferocity, but panthers were the most silent of predators. There was a reason Deep Blue was the leader of the Ikisatashis, a reason he was to be treated with a respect not far from fear.

He wore his pelt like a strange attempt at a second skin; it was a hooded cloak, the great beast's upper jaw resting on his forehead, polished-rock eyes gazing glassily into the distance, and the heavy clawed paws hanging over his shoulders. The jet-black fur was tattered into an indistinct shape at the bottom, almost sweeping the ground.

"Greetings, Deep Blue-sama," Pai began.

"And to you, Pai-san." Deep Blue replied. Pai kept his face as impassive as ever, though he was secretly bemused every time he conferred with the man. Even for all his diplomacy skill he found the cryptic Cat leader to be impossible to have plain dealings with. He tended to talk down to everyone, in a soothing, mocking tone. Yet, he would bring their clan to safety this year.

"I see the Midsummer Moon Festival fire is burning brightly," Pai observed. The flickering flames were already much higher than their clan's fire usually was, but he supposed this year it would have to be for both tribes. They had similar traditions, and would celebrate together.

"Hai, maybe for your clan, Pai-san. However, we shall need a much bigger supply of wood if the fire is to last through the festival." He turned and beckoned with one hand to the warrior still attending him. "Ichigo, you can escort these two Wolves to gather more wood." Deep Blue grinned at Pai. "It only takes one to be a scout, no?"

Ichigo started forward and opened her mouth to respond, but a small shape flew out of the foliage and tackled her from behind.

"Gotcha, Ichigo!" It was another of the Ikisatashis, though younger than the one called Ichigo.

"Get _off_ me, Taruto!" the red-haired girl hissed at the boy, clawing at his arm.

"Ichigo, control your brother," Deep Blue said with a trace of disdain. Tart leapt up and, upon seeing Deep Blue, bowed hastily and stood beside Ichigo.

"Gomen, Master Deep Blue," the boy added, ducking his head and proceeding to suck on his newly acquired scratches.

"If you would, Ichigo?" Deep Blue gestured to the forest. It was clear he wished to be rid of the other Wolves.

Ichigo nodded and leapt into the woods on the other side of the clearing, not waiting for the others to follow. Yuzu and Shio traded a look with Pai and took off, obviously perplexed as to why the Ikisatashi leader would send them on such an errand. Tart sidled over to a log beside the fire and began whittling a piece of cedar wood with his bone knife, apparently bored with the leaders' exchange.

"Now, Pai-san," Deep Blue said, pacing again. "We should be drawing near to the other settlements, and it's time to find out who the… current residents of this land are. Find out everything you can about them, and about the land. I'm sure you would agree that a full reconnaissance is appropriate at this point, and" -he added with a subtle smirk- "I'm sure you're up for it. Report back immediately after. Understood?"

Pai nodded. It was only practical. He needed to learn this land like the back of his hand; the hunting, terrain and the people were all vital to their survival here. The people… Pai had never known anything of other tribes, except for brief encounters with the Cats. His curiosity rose, swelling up through his chest and bringing him onto the balls of his feet, aching for a run.

"Hai. I will return soon," Pai responded. The Fujiwara leader broke into a run, speeding south into the sea breeze. Deep Blue watched him go with a patronizing smile.

"We need to know exactly how to… deal with these current tribes," he said, voice soft and dangerous.

Tart looked up from his whittling, startled by the hostility in his master's voice.

"Is this going to be like it was with the Fongs, then?"

Deep Blue readjusted his heavy pelt and gave a toothy smile.

"Only if they resist."


	4. Chapter Three: Wolf

**Hello again, lovely R&Rers. :D Not too much in way of messages today other than one or two requests. First, just so we don't get confused when tabulating votes and accidentally give someone a right/wrong answer they didn't deserve, please make sure you post your guess for a chapter on the reviews page of that chapter; e.g. if you are guessing which of us wrote chapter one, don't post this guess on the reviews page for chapter two, ne? x3 Second, True has asked me to gently remind you that her username is 'True Colours'. With a 'u' in 'Colours'. 'Cuz you know, in Canada (where I'm from) and the UK (where she's form) words like 'colour' and 'favourite' are spelled with extra letters, and I'm sure you've experienced that pang of annoyance when someone gets your name wrong. *nod* She thanks you all profusely. ^^ **

**That will be all. Enjoy!**

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"I run in the company of wolves." - D.J. Sylvis

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**Chapter 3: Wolf**

Lettuce loved the forest. It made her feel alive; connected to all things in the most exhilarating of ways. Today, however, the trees loomed close and ominous, each trunk seeming to conceal an enemy, a possible threat.

The cool rustle of leaves filled her ears as she moved through the underbrush, and a soft breeze lifted her green bangs off her forehead. She took care not to catch her clothing on any brambles; the woven rushes of her knee-length shift were rough and became entangled easily. She tried to be as quiet as possible, considering the nature of her excursion, but kept tripping over concealed roots and bumps in the lightly worn path. She supposed she shouldn't be following the path given the circumstances, but it seemed to be the most direct route toward the curling pillar of smoke that was still visible through the canopy of the trees.

Lettuce did not particularly want to be heading in that direction. She wondered briefly why she had even begun to make this trip alone. If she was in her right mind she would have gone back to the tribe immediately and spoken to Keiichiro; she would have told someone where she was going, at least. Shirking her responsibilities as next-of-kin to the chief of her tribe was unacceptable. But Pudding had been so distressed.

Trying to maneuver herself through a particularly dense thicket, Lettuce felt her throat constrict as she thought of the anguish she'd seen on the girl's face before she'd scampered off into the forest a few minutes prior. These newcomers, whoever they were, this lone plume of smoke curling up over the horizon had somehow provoked a startlingly strong reaction from the mysterious girl; she was usually so amiable and lighthearted, if a little guarded.

Lettuce felt a sudden nervous sweat break out across the back of her neck. She had heard talk of other tribes, mostly stories told by elders in her village. Strange, wild people that befriended the stealthy predators of the far north – hunted like them too. What did she even hope to accomplish by heading towards these people on her own? Lettuce shivered, stopped walking and considered turning back, bare foot half raised to step over a gnarled root at the base of a tall tree. The wind blew harder for a moment, bringing all sorts of scents and sounds with it, swirling past Lettuce in a heady cloud of information. Lettuce began to let her ribbons unfurl from under her hair so as to better taste the wind, but a sudden sound from farther along the path stopped her and made her blood run cold.

Someone was coming - someone who, by the sounds of it, was wearing moccasins. No one Lettuce knew ever wore shoes in the summer. In a flash of pure instinct and uncharacteristic athletic prowess she jumped into the air grabbing onto a branch above her head and swinging her legs up. She pulled herself onto the branch with some effort – she'd always found operating on land to be tedious and rather difficult – rising and reaching for the next one above her as swiftly as her lack of coordination would allow, desperate to be up and out of sight before the stranger drew anywhere near to her hiding spot. In a matter of seconds Lettuce found herself lying on a wide branch some ways up the tree, chest heaving with the effort of moving so much in so little time. Grateful that the wind had been blowing toward her – bringing the stranger's scent and sound to her earlier than if the air had been still – and not away from her, Lettuce peered tentatively over the side of the branch and down through the foliage at the path below. Her heart thundered in her ears as the rough bark pressed against her cheek, but she could still hear the stranger drawing closer below. She strained her eyes, fear warring with burning curiosity as she tried to catch a glimpse of the approaching being. The sound of footfalls grew louder, and suddenly a figure burst through the underbrush, clearing a mammoth log in a single, swift leap and landing almost directly below Lettuce's tree with the practiced grace of a hunter. The figure placed a pale hand to the ground to steady itself before straightening, pausing to survey its surroundings. Lettuce felt her eyes widen and held back a gasp as the person turned, giving her a full view of his – for it was evident now that the figure was a male – face.

Skin pale as the pearly inside of an oyster stood in stark relief against dark eyes, which even from Lettuce's vantage point clearly burned with pride and deadly cunning. Tousled hair of deepest purple fell into the man's eyes, longer on one side of his face and bound with a strip of leather. A simple fur tunic and leather leggings stretched slightly over his lithe, athletic build, and his feet were indeed clad in moccasins. A long knife was sheathed at his hip, and cords strung with fangs and claws hung ominously from the belt slung across his hips. Even while standing motionless the man maintained a stance which suggested that dangerous strength flowed through him, and a mysterious, guarded expression clouded his strong features. This man, so evidently dangerous and entirely unlike anything Lettuce had ever seen, was absolutely terrifying.

Lettuce leaned over the branch in awe, knowing in the back of her mind she ought to be breathing but too absorbed by the dangerously intriguing novelty of the man below her to draw a breath. The man moved cautiously as he examined his surroundings; his movements were strangely fluid as he knelt to the ground again, plucking a plant from the ground and sniffing it. Lettuce cocked her head, curious, and wriggled quietly farther along the branch to maintain her view. The man dropped the plant, apparently having gleaned some sort of information from it, now moving slowly to run his hand along the bark of a tree opposite Lettuce's. He seemed to be feeling for something specific, although Lettuce had not a clue what that could be. She noted the precision of even his simpler movements, thinking vaguely to herself that he would make a good cliff-scaler. He could probably even give Mint a run for her money…

Suddenly the man moved, resuming his steady southward pace, apparently having decided he'd learned all he needed to from his surroundings. Lettuce started as the branch blocked the man from sight, jerking quickly to the other side wide limb so as to restore her view of him. Her stomach lurched as she felt her weight shift too far to the side, hands scrabbling in vain for something to hold onto.

She toppled off the branch, glaringly aware of the several feet of empty space she knew stretched below her. Eyes wide and mouth open in a scream she didn't have the breath for, Lettuce felt her ribbons unfurl in shock as leaves whipped past her. Twigs slapped and scratched at her bare arms and legs as she plummeted; she screwed her eyes shut in anticipation of resounding crack her skull would make as it slammed against the ground, which rushed up to meet her –

Whump. The world halted; a pair of firm arms curled around Lettuce's shoulders and under her knees as they caught her. Lettuce blinked as her ribbons floated down in spirals around her, landing silkily across her body and looping over the arms that were holding her up. Lettuce put her hand dazedly against the firm, wall-like surface she was pressed against, following it up until she found herself gazing into the deepest pair of eyes she had ever seen.

"Oh." Blush streaked across her face like flame as she realized where she was. "Oh!" Fear shot through her as she realized whose arms she was lying in. She began to flail in panic, lurching backwards as the man released her in surprise and she tumbled to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Lettuce froze at the sound of his voice, glancing upward to see an extended hand hovered over her head. She reached up almost involuntarily and took hold of it, pleasantly surprised through her shock at the tingle his touch inspired in her skin. Still blushing furiously, she stood and backed up a few steps before closing her hand into a fist and crossing her left arm over her chest, greeting the stranger in the way of her tribe. The man responded in kind, first attempting awkwardly to repeat her gesture, then touching his fist to his stomach and spreading his fingers wide in what appeared to be his tribal greeting.

Formalities out of the way, they stared at each other. Silence reigned. Suddenly remembering her duties to the tribe, Lettuce cast about furiously for a good way to open a conversation after what had just happened. The blush still hadn't retreated from her cheeks. "Ano…" she began, trying to pry her eyes from the ground to meet his expectant gaze. She paused and took a breath, reminding herself that revealing too much about her status to this man would be unwise. "My name is Retasu, of the Midorikawa tribe. We inhabit the southern coast of this land. On behalf of my people, may I ask who you are and where you hail from?" She finally dragged her gaze upwards to his face and saw him looking at her with some unfathomable emotion burning behind his guarded expression. He seemed to ponder her question for a moment, giving Lettuce an uneasy feeling in her gut. Finally, he spoke.

"I am Pai, of the Fujiwara tribe; we hail from the mountains of the Far North." Lettuce noted his voice became ever so slightly strained as he said this. "Our people have traveled here in the hopes of finding a more hospitable permanent home," he continued. "We discovered a short time ago that this area was already inhabited. I was sent here to scout out the natives and try to negotiate." He smiled slightly in a clumsy attempt to appear friendly and gestured to Lettuce at this last part, lips parting to reveal strikingly prominent canine teeth. Lettuce took an involuntary step back.

"D-do… do you mean to force us from our home?" Lettuce voiced the question bluntly, letting the words fall from her tongue as she realized the severity of the situation. These people were hunters; the chances of them wanting a peaceful resolution to this problem seemed slim in the green-haired girl's eyes. She watched warily as a shadow passed across Pai's face; he concealed the darkening of his features deftly.

"We don't wish to harm you, Retasu…" he trailed off. "How do your people address you?" he asked suddenly. "I should like to do the same."

"Ano… Retasu-sama, usually, but– " Lettuce stopped, hand flying to her mouth in horror as she realized her error.

"Well then, Retasu-sama," he continued as though nothing unusual had transpired, "we do not wish to harm you, People of the…?"

"Sea," Lettuce finished his sentence for him automatically. She winced at the force with which she mentally kicked herself when she realized she'd let yet another thing slip. She narrowed her eyes at Pai's too-calm expression and resolved not to answer any more of his questions.

"We only seek a safe place to settle down," Pai continued, yet again acting as though nothing had happened. "One where the snows of winter won't claim our young, old and sickly while they slumber." The roughness returned to his voice, and Lettuce felt a twinge of pity, even through the sting of having been tricked out of valuable information. Twice.

"Sumimasen, Pai…-san," she added the suffix somewhat reluctantly, but decided that angering this man in any possible way would be a bad idea. "I can't speak for my tribe. I'll have to return to them and tell them what you've told me. I don't know how they'll react…" She trailed off, not trusting herself to speak much more, lest she accidentally let any more information slip. Pai nodded curtly, already preparing to turn back the way he'd come.

"I will go consult with my tribe in the meantime; expect an ambassador at your camp before sundown tomorrow." He turned abruptly to leave and was breaking into a run before Lettuce stopped him.

"Wait!" He paused a foot or two away and looked over his shoulder at her. Unnerved by his piercing gaze, Lettuce fumbled for words for a moment. "Eto… How will you find our camp?" she asked, not intending to give him directions but curious all the same. Turning to face her, Pai smiled grimly. Lettuce squeaked in surprise as he grabbed the hem of his tunic and pulled it up swiftly, baring his smooth, muscled chest almost entirely. She stared dumbly in shock for a moment until a gesture of his hand drew her attention to a mark just above his navel: a paw print framed by three vertical slashes on each side.

"My people are born trackers," he said, letting his tunic fall back down and turning once more. "Such things come naturally to kin of wolves," he called over his shoulder, showing Lettuce another flash of teeth before disappearing through the underbrush.

Lettuce stood stock-still as the sound of his footsteps faded into the rhythmic breathing of the forest, shivering as his last words sank in. 'Kin of wolves.' Shaking her head and rolling her shoulders to banish the chill that was creeping up her spine, Lettuce turned southward and burst into motion, running as fast as she could, ribbons streaming out behind her in the breeze blowing in from the sea.

Pai paid no attention to his feet as he ran, letting his instincts guide him back along the barely-detectable path he had made through the forest. His mind raced as he thought of what had just happened. That girl had thoroughly surprised him, falling from the sky like that. And no one ever surprised him. Ever. He shook his head, thinking of her wide blue eyes, the warmth of her skin as he caught her and pressed her instinctively close to him. Those ribbons, streaming down around her, lying in cool silkiness on his arm… He'd never encountered anything like them.

His stomach twisted in guilt as he recalled the look in her eyes when she'd realized he'd tricked her. He wondered when he'd become so dishonest; was knowing her status within her tribe so essential? Maybe Deep Blue's conniving ways were rubbing off on him. He detested his newfound subservience to the leader of the Ikisatashis. His mouth pulled into a sneer as he contemplated the notion of dogs meekly obeying cats.

Pai shook his head as the girl returned to his thoughts; younger than himself, probably even younger than Zakuro, and already in a position of power within her tribe. Things just had to be so damn difficult; how badly he wanted to provide for his tribe – it killed him to see them suffer and perish as they did. Making allies of the Cats seemed like the only solution; they were strong, and he certainly did not want to make enemies of them. Pai was coming to realize, however, that while he had originally thought their goals to be similar, Deep Blue was plotting something sinister. The rumours that drifted through their camp were not unfounded, Pai was sure of it. There was little doubt in his mind that the Cats had not magically forgotten their violent tendencies.

How long would it be before Deep Blue tried to force him into doing something he truly did not want to? Pai could handle giving up first choice of places to set up camp, forgoing the best hunting grounds to the Cats, stifling his pride every time he conversed with Deep Blue and was made to feel like an idiot. But violence was another thing altogether. Pai had a sneaking suspicion that if the original inhabitants of Deep Blue's newly-claimed territory did not bend to his will, something unpleasant was going to transpire. And if that happened…

Pai sighed, pressing the heel of his palm into his temple. No matter which way he looked at it, people were going to die; one way or another, someone was going to get hurt. The least he could do was to collect Yuzu and Shio, return to the Ikisatashi camp and try to get together some sort of embassy.

He took a deep breath in an attempt to quell the apprehension fluttering in his stomach. He couldn't be sure of Deep Blue's intentions, he told himself. He was letting his imagination run away with him. The leader of the Cats was so enigmatic it was hard to tell what anything he did or said really meant. The possibility of a massacre only made sense if he let himself believe the wilder rumours anyway. Perhaps there would be no need for violence; perhaps he could find a way to end things peacefully. Pai shook his head once more and pushed onward, trying to clear his mind of all troubling thoughts and letting himself fall into the rhythm of his run. Repeating calming, soothing, rational words to himself under his breath as he went and thinking rationality meant nothing to him anymore, Pai tried desperately to believe his own words.


	5. Chapter Four: Negotiations

******Ah, terribly sorry for the wait, minna. All five of us have had very busy schedules as of late. Nothing much to say up here this time though, other than thanking all of you for supporting us throughout this endeavour with your guesses. :3 Please enjoy this latest chapter~!****

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"What's to do? An attack?"

"A parley rather. See, they carry green branches."

"He that is walking...has no look of surrender on his face...I'll wager my dappled Pomely he brings a challenge, not a surrender." -Prince Caspian

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**Chapter 4: Negotiations**

The Midorikawas were uneasy.

Ever since Lettuce had arrived out of breath and flushed at the edge of the village and demanded to see the Chief immediately, they had known something was wrong. And, as is its way, word had leaked out and by morning the next day there was not one person who didn't know the story in some shape or form. People were coming from the North – people who were kin to wolves and had survived winters in which the sea's harshest gales would seem no more than a gentle breeze. And now they were here and, or so people whispered, they were hungry to make this land their own.

"They would drive us out," proclaimed Kish. "Or kill us - whichever's easier."

Masaya elbowed him. "Says your neighbour's aunt. It seems to me that nobody really knows anything about what's going on."

"Except for Keiichiro and Retasu," Mint put in, "and now Ryou. And the three of them have been in counsel all morning."

Kish, Mint and Masaya were sitting on an outcrop of rock a little way up from the village, snacking on cliff blueberries and trying to pass the time. It was a cloudy, blustery day, and while this cliff wasn't the most comfortable place in the world, at least it was away from the tense, confused atmosphere of the village. They had by now thoroughly dissected every detail they could remember about how Lettuce had looked when she came into the village - urgent, worried and really, really red - what they had heard from listening at Keiichiro's door until someone shooed them away - not a lot - and how many different versions of the story they had heard – countless - from various sources over the last twenty-four hours in order of reliability, and were at a loss.

Mint in particular was impatient - hungry for any information that might come her way. The Bird tribe had heard just enough of what was going on to make them anxious, and since she and her cousin had come this morning, she had been making endless enquiries on what was going on. As the Chief's cousin, she prided herself on knowing the gossip of both her tribe and the gossip of the Midorikawas, and it infuriated and worried her that there was an issue so huge that the tribe's elders had been in counsel for an entire day.

"What I don't understand," she said, resting her head on her chin and gazing out to sea, "is why Retasu went on her own. Surely it would have been wiser to get together a group of scouts before going somewhere like that?"

Kish shrugged. "She went off early in the morning to the woods to get some hazelnuts and fruit, I think. She didn't come back for nearly an hour, and then... yeah. We only got back a few minutes before she did, because we went out fishing after we met up with you – Masaya?"

Masaya had suddenly got to his feet and was scrambling urgently along the outcrop, his streamers out and tasting the wind. "Minto," he hissed, "hide!"

"What?" Kish was beside him in a moment, grabbing his fishing spear, climbing up the rock to where Masaya stood and unfurling his own ribbons. "Masaya – " then he stopped, and his head snapped around to face the wind. "I don't believe it..."

"Would someone care to explain to me what's going on?" called Mint testily. Sometimes, being the only one without a sixth sense grated on her nerves.

Masaya turned to face her, gesticulating wildly. "Go! Get back to the village! _Now!_"

Something about the way he spoke made Mint feel that, no matter how curious she might be, it would be best to do what he said – if only to preserve his peace of mind. She turned and began to pick her way back down through the rocks, occasionally glancing back at the two boys as she went.

"Hey, Masaya," Kish said after a few more seconds, the anxiety and alarm in his tone lessening slightly. "I don't think there are that many of them."

Masaya turned to him, ribbons streaming and worry written all over his face. "What makes you say that?"

'Put your ribbons to the ground,' Kish instructed. Masaya did so, bending over slightly so that the tips of his ribbons brushed the ground, and after a few moments his face relaxed.

"There. Does that sound like an army to you?" Kish asked amusedly.

"Okay, I take your point. It smelled like one. But what are we going to do?"

"Well, one thing's for sure," Kish said decisively, "we're not going to let them walk past us into our village and do nothing about it. Get your spear!"

"Kisshu, I'm not sure this is a good idea – "

"_Come on!"_

Masaya sighed and grabbed his fishing spear, following Kish up the rocky incline to intercept the path that wound its way down to their village.

They had had no problem figuring out which way to go.

The scent of people was all around this part of the land; footprints, bent branches and even feathers and shells hung from trees. As they began to draw near to what must be the Sea People's settlement, the scent of smoke and food cooking was tangible, even though they were upwind of the camp.

This was too easy. Pai glanced toward Zakuro, who was walking at his right. She looked grim. On the other side of him walked Mugi, a burly, ruthless-looking Ikisatashi who he had brought as a concession to Deep Blue-sama, though Pai feared he wouldn't be much good when it came to negotiations. He didn't like the way that Mugi always seemed on the verge of drawing ahead of him and Zakuro, either. Zakuro seemed perturbed by the same thing and quickened her pace slightly, pulling ahead.

Behind him, he heard Yuzu sniff the air and quicken her pace. "Do these people know _nothing_ about keeping hidden? I could trace them out from ten leagues."

"Maybe they don't need to hide," Ichigo, the Ikisatashi girl who had also come with them, suggested. "Maybe this place is so safe that there's no need for concealment."

"Perhaps," conceded Yuzu, "but from what Pai-sama said about his encounter with one of them – which wasn't much, I'll grant you – it seems to me like they don't know the first thing about it, whether they need to or not."

Pai grit his teeth. He had tried to keep details on his encounter with Lettuce to the minimum, but people would talk. He saw Zakuro glance back at him.

"Or maybe he just found a particularly clumsy one –"

"Quiet back there!" barked Pai, turning on them in annoyance. "You're on a scouting mission, not a casual stroll!"

"Gomen, Pai-sama," muttered Yuzu. Ichigo however glared, and was just opening her mouth to retort when a shout came from in front.

"Pai!"

Zakuro had suddenly called out sharply, and Pai turned to her, looking at her quizzically. She had stopped, and was looking at him with a strange expression on her face – somewhere between curiosity, surprise and unease.

"What is it, Zakuro?"

"There," she gestured with her hand. Pai followed her gaze and saw clearly what it was that had drawn her attention.

There, coming out of the brush a little way to their right, was a winding, fairly narrow but perfectly distinct path. They could see it wending its way down through the rocks toward a narrow, valley-like cove which was mostly obscured by the steep descent. However, they could see several curls of dark gray smoke rising up from it clearly against the blustery sky.

All of them stared. This was no mark of a passing animal, not something to be caught and deciphered and followed as best one could. The path that lay in front of them was old and worn, shaped through the grass by countless feet passing along it, every day for who knew how many years. It was not in the slightest bit concealed; on the contrary, it was a guide. A guide to the people who lived here, clearly stating that here was the way down to their home, that they were nearly there.

This was a good place.

That was when it dawned on Pai just how long people must have been living here. Generations of grand-fathers and fathers and sons, _all in the same place. _And at the same time, with a flicker of apprehension, he realised what that meant. There was absolutely no way that this tribe was willingly going to leave.

"Halt! Stop!"

Two boys were running down the path towards them.

"What?"

A jolt of alarm ran through the small group. Ichigo and Yuzu took a step backward, Zakuro and Pai moved closer together. Mugi tensed and lifted his spear slightly and Pai leant forward and scrutinized the boys as they came to a disorganised halt in front of him.

It only took him one proper look to realise they were nothing to be afraid of. They were several years younger than himself – about the Ichigo's age – and had the gangly, clumsy manner that came between being a child and a man. The spears they carried weren't big enough to kill a deer, let alone a man and, above all, they were clearly unsure of what they were doing. Nothing destroyed an advantage like disorganisation and thus these two boys posed no threat. Pai lifted an eyebrow and waited patiently for them to speak.

After a few seconds of shuffling and awkward glances the taller of the two - a wiry, gold-eyed boy whose skin was slightly paler than his companion's - spoke. "I am Kisshu, and with me is Masaya. We are warriors from the Midorikawa tribe and request you to state your names and why you are here." The boy finished in a rush, but continued to look Pai directly in the eye as he spoke. The other boy standing beside him looked tense; his brown eyes moved over the group, taking in their size and numbers, the same ribbon-like things Pai had noticed on Lettuce's head the day before undulating before him. No doubt they were picking up some sort of information as well.

Pai was amused, but also slightly impressed. It seemed these two had come to speak to him on their own initiative; this tribe did have those who could fight, it seemed. "Well, warriors of the Midorikawa tribe, I am Pai, chief of the Fujiwaras. With me is my sister, Zakuro, and these others are our scouts and tribe mates."

Zakuro stepped forward, and after the two boys glanced at one another in surprise they shifted their gaze to her. "Kisshu and Masaya, we have come as an embassy to your chief. Are you expecting us?"

They looked blank for a few seconds, and then comprehension flashed across the shorter boy – Masaya's – face. "Yes, we are expecting you," he said. "Our chief currently sits in council over the matter."

"As we have not yet reached the village, you may escort me to him, if you wish," Pai offered. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mugi give the slightest of smirks.

Kish and Masaya had a short muttered conversation, with several glances toward the party. Pai strained his ears to catch their words; "Shall we split up? ... one at the back and one at the front... I think you only do that if there's more than... fine, then let's just... I don't like the idea of not being able to see them, though..." Pai found himself smirking slightly. Zakuro glanced at him with a quelling look.

A moment later, the boys seemed to reach an agreement and turned back to the group. Masaya raised his voice. "We will take you to our chief. Please follow us."

Kish nodded in confirmation, and the two of them turned the way they had come, motioning to Pai to follow them. Pai twisted around to look at the rest of the party. Yuzu and Mugi shrugged, but Ichigo nodded vehemently, her eyes on the green-haired boy in front of them. Zakuro rolled her eyes and began to walk forward. "I don't think they're going to do us any harm."

Pai nodded began to follow the two 'warriors' down the path.

"So they said _nothing_ about where they were going?" Ryou asked for the third time.

"I told you, Ryou," Mint snapped impatiently.

"I think your interruption is pointless then, as it holds little relevance to the matter at hand –"

"But what _is _the matter at hand?" Mint burst out. "I, for one, have no idea what's going on, and there's rumours enough to drown in buzzing around both the villages, and I think you should let me – that is, people – know what's actually happening."

"As it happens, Minto," Ryou said icily, "I was just about to find you and return to our tribe to do just that. If you had been a little more patient and not burst in on our counsel over something so trivial -"

"What Ryou-sama means is that all of you will know what is going on very soon," interjected Keiichiro, pouring oil on the troubled waters, "and that you only need wait a little longer. And while Kish and Masaya's alarm may have some significance that we can decide later, at present there are more important issues we have to discuss before..."

Lettuce, who had remained pale and quiet throughout the conversation, suddenly stood, crossed the room toward the doorway of the hut and stepped out, her ribbons moving and twitching in the breeze. "I don't think there are, Keiichiro," she said quietly, and Mint noticed with a flicker of alarm the veiled nerves in her voice.

Keiichiro was at her side in an instant, his own ribbons unfurling. Mint and Ryou looked at one another in a moment of mutual confusion. "Retasu? Niece, what do you mean?"

"Look," she pointed.

They heard Keiichiro's sharp intake of breath from across the room. By the time they were as much as halfway across, Keiichiro had turned and was heading towards his seat - Lettuce tailing behind him - with a look of grim anxiety on his face.

"They're here. Kisshu and Masaya are with them," he said.

Mint felt her stomach lurch, and hurried forward to the door. They were here? They were invading already? Were Kish and Masaya perhaps dead, killed in some gruesome savage manner, and being brought back as a trophy? Or had the two of them seen the new tribe and jumped ship? That thought sent hurt twisting through Mint, unbearable even as a "supposing". A thousand muddled, chaotic ideas ran buzzing through her head, blotting out her common sense and filling her with panic. She closed her eyes, shook her head and peered out of the hut, taking in the actual spectacle in front of her.

Mint blinked. What she saw was so different from her panicked thoughts that she could have laughed with relief but, in its way, so bizarre that it held her where she stood with fascination and bemusement. She wondered who was being taken in - if anyone was - and if not, why on earth what was happening _was_ happening.

A group of people, who, by the paleness of their skin and the furs they wore as clothing could only be the invaders, were being led into the village by Kish and Masaya. They were walking ahead of the group, looking tense and uncertain, while the people behind them followed in a loose knot, looking about them with interest. Midorikawas were coming from their huts to stare in silence at the procession, dropping their eyes if any member happened to glance at them then lifting them again, staring at Kish and Masaya with eyes filled with questions.

"So it's true," murmured Mint. Then she turned to Ryou. "Do we know if they come in peace?"

"Retasu-san said that they would come with an embassy, to negotiate – though I expect they see it as more of a formality than anything else," Ryou's face was hard and grim, and as he nodded towards the party, Mint could see his jaw was tight. "See that man's face? He must be the chief, judging by the way he's positioned himself at the head of the group. He doesn't take Kisshu and Masaya seriously."

_Who would? _Mint thought, with a hint of amusement. But at the same time, she felt proud of her two friends. They must have met this party when they climbed the cliffs, and the thought of the hasty _ad lib _they must have done when they encountered the group made her smile.

"You think this is funny, Minto?" Ryou said quietly, his sharp blue eyes catching her expression. "Well, make yourself useful. Go back to the village. Fetch our warriors. Be quick about it."

Mint gasped at the unfairness of her cousin's order. "But Ryou-san, that not fair! I want to hear – "

"_Go!"_

Mint ground her teeth and began to pick her way down from the hut, looking up as she passed the 'embassy'. Her eyes met Masaya's, and he gave her a quick, tight smile. She grimaced back, and proceeded down the path, looking up at the strangers and daring them to try and intimidate her. She was about to slow down and analyse each of their appearances in turn as they passed her, but then she heard Ryou give a slight cough behind her, and stomped faster down the path instead, looking straight ahead. _How _could they have the negotiations without her there? It just wasn't _fair_!

As she passed the last of the group, Mint broke into a run, heading towards the cliffs and her own village, her quick feet and eyes picking out the fastest way up. The sooner she got there, the sooner she could be back.

Keiichiro welcomed the group in the most gracious manner possible, giving a quiet word of thanks to Kish and Masaya. He motioned for them to be seated on the driftwood logs set in a circle around the centre of the room, which most of them did, though Kish and Masaya stayed standing in the recesses of the room, neither of them particularly wishing to make fools of themselves in the negotiations. Mugi hovered, evidently wishing to remain standing, until Pai gave a sharp, terse motion with his head and he sat down sullenly next to Ichigo.

Pai looked around the circle, memorizing the faces of those he did not know and studying the expressions on those he did. He noted that all the members of his group appeared tense and awkward, aside from the Ikisatashi girl, who looked interested and Zakuro, who remained expressionless save for an occasional, searching flicker of her eyes. Yuzu and Mugi both seemed stressed, uncomfortable with their close proximity to the strangers, while in the corner the two boys who had led them in talked quietly, their bizarre antennae twitching incessantly.

Pai turned his attention to the two men who had been talking as they had entered the room; these must be men with power in the tribe. The younger, blonde one's expression was stony; like Mugi, he looked tense and maybe, Pai thought, even a little angry. The brown-haired man next to him seemed, by comparison conspicuously relaxed – as though tense negotiations with unfamiliar foreigners were something he encountered every day. This must be the chief of the tribe, Pai thought, to be so self-assured. And if so, who was the man on his right...?

Just then, he spotted Lettuce sitting to the left of the Chief. The blush he had noticed on her cheeks when they were in the woods was now absent from her face, and she was obviously tired. She looked pale and on edge, her hands gripping the log on which she sat, but with a stubborn tilt to her head that refused to display fear. He scrutinized her closely, noting where she was seated and recalling her words the previous day. As he watched, she leant over and whispered something to the Chief; he nodded. She was respected within her tribe – that much he knew. Could that mean that she was, perhaps...

Pai suddenly noted a slight resemblance between her and the Chief, and relaxed. She was a relative then, like Zakuro was to him; she had skills that were valued in her tribe, and direct kinship with the Chief – thus she was respected, Pai hypothesized. Besides, that man was far too old - older than himself...

Pai suddenly noticed his sister watching him closely, and hastily looked down at the floor.

"You'd better start, Keiichiro-san," Lettuce whispered to her uncle. "They're only getting more bothered the longer we sit here."

Keiichiro nodded and turned to the front. Lettuce watched him as he took a deep breath, carefully arranging his features into an expression of composed hospitality. Lettuce looked away from him, her eyes moving around the circle for what seemed like the hundredth time.

As her eyes reached the red-haired girl opposite her, Lettuce noticed that the girl was gazing to Lettuce's right, where Masaya and Kish stood quietly talking to one another. She heard them fall silent and the red-head blushed, coyly turning her gaze to the floor. Lettuce almost smiled, but then imagined all too clearly what Mint's reaction would be, had she been present.

Just then, Keiichiro cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to him as he began to speak. "To all of you, welcome to our village. I am Keiichiro, Chief of the Midorikawa tribe," he said cordially. He then motioned to his right. 'This is Ryou. He is Chieftain of the Aizawas, who live nearby."

A small flurry of murmuring broke out amongst the strangers; they had clearly not anticipated the presence of more than one tribe in the vicinity. After a few moments Pai raised his voice and the room fell silent. "I am Pai, Chief of the Fujiwara tribe. With me is my sister Zakuro, members of our tribe, and our allies, the Ikisatashis. Their chief, regrettably, could not come."

Lettuce felt a dropping sensation in her stomach, and fought to keep her face free of dismay. So their doubled numbers meant nothing, after all – the Fujiwaras had another tribe with them, too. Pai's choice of word – _allies – _sent cold fear down her spine. As she stared toward him anxiously, the woman next to him – his sister – looked up, deep violet eyes boring straight into her own. Lettuce hastily directed her gaze towards her companions instead, watching their reactions.

Yuzu noticed the green-haired girl on Keiichiro's left look shocked as Pai mentioned their numbers, but both Ryou and Keiichiro's expressions were perfectly controlled.

Ryou now leant forward and raised his voice above the hubbub. "We have some questions for you, Pai-sama," he said, and Yuzu tensed as, past the honorific, she heard a slight edge of aggression in his tone. "Firstly, do you and your _allies –" _he put only the very slightest emphasis on the word "-mean to stay here? If so, for how long?"

Pai drew himself up slightly, meeting Ryou's gaze directly. "We plan to stay in this area, Ryou-sama; this land is good, and there is plenty of food and shelter. How long we shall stay I cannot tell you. The amount of time is indefinite. As I told Retasu-sama when I met her, we only wish for a place to stay where we shall not be hungry, where our young and old will not be killed during the winter." His eyes moved to Lettuce's face, as though looking for her support, but she kept her eyes firmly fixed on a spot just above his head.

Yuzu watched the girl closely. From what she could see, she was young – only a little more than ten and five winters, by the look of it – not particularly athletic-looking, and not particularly brave. She seemed pale and quiet, unwilling to make decisions herself, but Yuzu gathered that she was a respected figure within her tribe. In the wolf tribe, a member received recognition by proving their skill by producing food and shelter for the tribe, fighting or scouting - as she had done - or simply by being strong enough to survive the winter. What did this weak, defenceless tribe, who did nothing to keep themselves hidden and had no warriors to speak of, value about this girl? What would make them see her as worthy of respect?

So wrapped up in her thoughts was she that she didn't notice the Midorikawa chief leading up to his question until he asked it. Leaning forward, his odd, charcoal-silver ribbons moving very slightly in the air about him, he said, "Pai-sama, there is one thing I must know. If your two tribes do end up staying here, do you think we can all live here peacefully?"

The atmosphere in the room seemed to tense. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for the reply to Keiichiro's question – the one that all of them had been wondering about since they had arrived. Yuzu sat quietly, her eyes locked on Pai's face, watching as he opened his mouth to speak. What would he say? What –

Then Pai gave the Midorikawa girl an abrupt, lightning glance and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Yuzu stared, but Pai was already looking away, so fast she thought she might have imagined it. He seemed to have chosen what to say, speaking slowly as he selected his words.

"That will depend, Keiichiro-sama, on the amount of resources that this area contains; for example, is there enough food for four tribes in this place? Enough firewood?"

Beside him Zakuro was looking askance and across the circle the two boys who had escorted them in were watching him with reluctant admiration. He had, very neatly, dodged the question.

Yuzu slumped in her seat, bored.

Keiichiro looked at him hard, an expression of appraisal visible beneath his careful mask. "Well, it depends; we have different sources of food, and they are all gathered from different places. If you were to..."

Mint scrambled through the scrub at the edge of the cliff, bushing wiry branches out of the way and dodging sharp rocks underfoot. She heard the cry of sea birds all about her and she could feel the familiar, rough turf under her feet. She reached a certain spot along the barren cliff and stopped, looking this way and that, checking the coast was clear and she was not being followed here by some wolf-like stranger. Then, relaxing, she crouched where she was, took a firm grasp of a chunk of heather and swung herself off the cliff.

At least, that was how it would have appeared to an onlooker. Mint Aizawa knew different. She lowered herself from the edge of the cliff and dropped onto a narrow outcrop, easing her way along and then taking a brief hop onto another. This wasn't the safest way down, but it was certainly the fastest.

Off to one side of her a large, glossy-headed sea-bird carked and flapped its wings, eyeing her expectantly. It was the breeding season for those birds – Mint could see from here that it was sitting on a nest – and the kin of the birds rarely passed a nesting gull without giving them a titbit of some sort. It made the birds tame if they were given food, encouraged them to nest close to the village, where a passing, careful Aizawa might be able to sneak an egg from an unguarded nest, to eat or to bring up tame. It was a fair exchange.

But today, Mint was in a hurry. "Gomen, sister, no food. I have a message to deliver today."

The bird rustled its feathers in a moody way and settled back down on its eggs, and Mint proceeded along the cliff-face.

After a few more minutes of climbing, smoke began to show from around the cliff. Mint dropped lower and, rounding a corner, entered the small, overhung valley that the Aizawas called home.

The majority of the tents were sheltered under the cliff, but a few protruded out at this time of year, small homes set up on the sparsely vegetated rocks that jutted out into the sea, jet-black against the white, pounding surf. In the winter the village would contract, drawing back into the valley and the cliff caves to be away from the harshest winds. But right now, the weather was fine. There were people everywhere - fishing, talking, training birds, all of them, Mint knew, with the bird-wing mark of the Aizawas there between their shoulder-blades. Mint ran into the midst of the village and hollered over the pounding of waves.

"Strangers from the North are here!" she yelled impressively.

The chatter immediately around her died into silence. Then, as her words sunk in, the camp descended into chaos. One child began to scream; adults were shouting and running to their tents.

"STOP PANICKING!" Mint shrieked, and there was quiet again. Then, in her normal tone, she continued.

"They're not attacking us yet. But they are at the Midorikawa village now, 'negotiating'." Mint stressed the word and a wave of muttering swept through the crowd. "Ryou-sama needs his warriors to go there now, in case things turn ugly," Mint continued. "He and Keiichiro-sama are in council with their Chieftain as we speak. Come on – fetch those who aren't here. Get your spears. We need to _go_!"

The camp began to bustle with activity again, the young men hurrying to get their spears and rallying around Mint, who was waiting impatiently at the foot of the ascent"

"Come on come on come _on_!" she called impatiently. "Let's _go_."

Only half an hour after Mint had set off to the Aizawa camp she was back again, with near fifteen warriors in tow. They stood outside the hut, having organised themselves efficiently into two rows, and Mint called from outside. "Ryou-sama!"

A second later, Kissh pulled open the curtain that served as the door and looked at her. "What are you doing here?" he whispered. "They've almost finished!"

Sure enough, from behind him in the hut Mint heard a rustle as people got to their feet and the sound of a deep, unknown voice saying good-bye to Keiichiro.

Mint's blood boiled. "Ryou-baka! When he comes out here, I'm going to – "

Just then, the group of strangers she had seen coming in began to make their way out of the hut, stepping around Mint and Kish with no comment and glancing curiously at the redundant group of warriors lined up on either side of the path. Mint just realised that she and Kish were blocking the way out when she noticed Lettuce inside, talking with Masaya in one corner.

"Retasu!" she called, walking inside, "I need to talk to you – "

As she walked through into the hut, a red-headed girl about her age bowled past her towards Kish. "Hey, Kisshu-san?" she called loudly, taking Mint's previous place in the doorway,"I was just going to thank you for 'escorting' us to your camp." There was a trace of mockery in her tone, but also curiosity. She was testing him out then, Mint thought dryly.

Kish turned around to look at her, rapidly improvising. "You're welcome, Ichigo-san" he said cordially. "I wouldn't have thought trackers such as yourselves would really have needed our guidance to find the village, though."

She stopped in surprise - evidently having expected a more self-conscious answer than the one she had received - and then began to reply, her voice losing some of its sarcastic tone. Kish allowed himself to be ushered out of the hut as the girl continued to talk.

Mint eyed her curiously until both she and Kish were out of sight of the doorway before turning back. "Retasu, what's been happening? Why were a bunch of random enemy tribe people in Keiichiro-sama's hut? Who was she?" She motioned with a jerk of her head to the doorway of the hut, through which they could hear snatches of conversation floating in.

"Ichigo," muttered Masaya. "She's a member of the Ikisatashi tribe."

"That's what they're called?"

"Well," said Lettuce grimly, "what _one _of the tribes is called."

Mint was surprised. "There are _two _tribes?"

Masaya nodded. "From what I gathered," he continued, "though of course they didn't say it like this, but they're sticking together until they're sure of this land – teaming up for now. They can always turn on eachother later, sort of thing. It seems like quite an uneasy alliance; the Chief of the Ikisatashis didn't even turn up, just the Fujiwara Chief, his sister, some other wolf warrior and a couple of Ikisatashi rank-and-file thrown in for good measure."

"How about the negotiations?" Mint inquired. "What did you talk about?"

Masaya snorted. "Nothing useful. They just asked about which creatures were our kin, and we told them which not to kill dolphins and black-headed gulls and otters, and where the deer usually graze and so on. But Ryou and Keiichiro-sama were very careful about what they told them and what they didn't, I noticed that – they never mentioned which way the wind usually blows, or where we go to fetch our water."

"And then they each introduced themselves and told us a little about their kin, and that was it," Lettuce finished. "The Fujiwara are the kin of the wolves, and Ikisatashi the cats. Both predators, and so naturally alliance and negotiation aren't easy for them; the cats in particular. I could tell they wanted to fight."

"Wait, hold up a bit," Mint said quickly. "The Ikisatashis. They're kin of _cats_? But that must mean they ally themselves with them. Cats are untameable, everyone knows that!"

"I don't think it's quite the same, Minto-san," Masaya said quietly. "You know that in our tribe and yours we don't kill some of our kin creatures, like Black-headed gulls and otters and so on? Well, there was one thing I noticed about the Ikisatashis, just after they said they were the Cat's tribe. Both of the warriors who we saw were wearing cat-skins of some kind."

Mint's eyes widened, but she managed to swallow her shock and keep her voice steady as she answered. "That's... different."

Lettuce stared down at her lap without a word. "I think the wolves are different again, though," she said quietly. "The Fujiwaras didn't seem as… I don't know... uncompromising as the two Ikisatashis – just as dangerous, but less likely to fight us... and a lot more tolerant. I feel that we could get along quite easily." She looked up and saw her two friends watching at her rather oddly.

"If you think that, Retasu-chan, I'm sure you're right," Mint said after a moment. "But all this isn't really what I'm interested in. What I want to know is: how did you know they were coming? And what did you think of all of them?"

Lettuce nodded; Mint could see her reluctance to talk about the newcomers more than she had to. "Alright, I'll tell you what you want to know, but let's get out of here first. I've been in this hut for hours."

Beside her, Masaya pushed himself off the log he had been leaning on and began to walk toward the door. "Well, I'm going to try and detach Kisshu from that Ikisatashi girl, and then we'll come too. That meeting was so stressful - you weren't missing anything good, Minto." He gave her a warm smile, and she felt her spirits rise marginally.

She stepped outside the hut to see Kish and the girl called Ichigo were still talking. They didn't seem to notice Mint, Masaya and Lettuce approaching until Masaya coughed slightly from behind Kish and he turned around with a start.

"Hey, Masaya," he said, laughing. "You gave me a shock!"

"Sorry," Masaya replied. "I didn't mean to." His brown eyes held a trace of laughter in them at his friend's absorption in the conversation. In front of him, Ichigo leaned around and looked at Mint and Lettuce curiously. Mint stared boldly back.

"Ano... we were thinking of going for a walk, Kisshu," Lettuce said timidly.

He shrugged. "Sure, why not? I need to blow away the cobwebs after that session. See you, cat-girl.' He gave Ichigo a jaunty grin.

"Great," Mint said hurriedly. "Now let's go." She reached for his arm and began to pull him off the path towards their usual route up, a little way along the cove. She nearly laughed when she noticed Ichigo's surprised, slightly annoyed expression. Well, Mint would prove to her that Aizawa girls were every bit as capable as Ikisatashis.

"Shouldn't you be going somewhere?" she said tartly, tilting her head toward the group waiting at the foot of the cliff.

As if to prove her point, at that moment the burly Ikisatashi man called out. "Ichigo? Are you coming any time before winter?"

"I guess," Ichigo said reluctantly, beginning to back toward the cliff. "But aren't you all coming up this way?"

"Well, that's not the only way up, you know," Mint said airily, turning away. "Not all our paths are marked as clearly as this one." Ichigo frowned.

"You could come with us, if you like," Lettuce offered, and Mint glanced at her, annoyed. She knew Lettuce was only trying to be courteous, but if Ichigo took her up on the offer Mint's whole afternoon would be ruined.

"No, I'd better go," she said stiffly, turning around. "But thanks for the offer," she called, flashing Lettuce a genuine smile over her shoulder. She joined the rest of her group at the bottom of the cliff, and they began to pick their way up. Mint noticed the predatory way that they moved - easing themselves from one piece of cover to the next - and shuddered, turning back to her group.

"Baka," she said lightly to Kish, breaking the tension. "You'd flirt with anything if it stayed still long enough."

"Hey, don't be like that, Minto-chan," Kish said, playfully ruffling her hair. "It was only a bit of fun. But c'mon, let's at least get up the cliff before you start gossiping your heart out."

It took them all of five minutes to climb the cliff, the route so familiar that even Lettuce barely stumbled. They crawled over the top of the cliff and headed a little way inland just as the wind veered around to the south, no longer blowing off the sea but across the land.

They made their way a little inland a bit farther before sitting down in a small, tangled copse some way into the wood, where they knew from experience there were several good, early raspberry bushes to snack from during a conversation. The two boys quickly gathered a handful and joined Lettuce and Mint on the ground, passing them each a few pink, squashy berries.

They chewed in silence for a while, then Kish spat out a seed and asked, "so are we going to start with the serious stuff, or the Minto-Retasu-lowdown?"

"Let's talk about it seriously first," Masaya put in. "Get it out of the way, so we can enjoy our afternoon."

Lettuce nodded, and the four of them sat in silence for a few moments, spitting seeds and occasionally reaching towards the bush to pick another fruit.

Then, Masaya spoke. "Well, if they do decide to attack us," he said conversationally, "we're screwed."

The small band of warriors made their way through the forest in silence for the most part, probably pondering the meeting that had just passed or - in the case of Ichigo and Zakuro - sulking.

In Zakuro's opinion, this 'embassy' had been a complete and utter waste of time. Nothing had been decided, nothing had been resolved, and whenever a difficult question had come up, her brother had skilfully diverted the conversation so that it did not have to be answered. Now, as she walked beside him, she noticed him keeping his face carefully free of expression; a closed mask that, now she thought of it, reminded her precisely of the expression Deep Blue wore all the time.

Zakuro gave a sigh, and Pai turned to face her. "Is everything alright, Zakuro?"

"What is it to you?" she snapped, lengthening her stride until she was a little way ahead of him. She could feel his eyes on her back, but didn't turn around. He would know she was mad at him. Good.

She could see what he was trying to do clearly; he didn't particularly want to fight these people himself, but he was unsure what _Deep Blue-sama_'s opinion was. So he was procrastinating, trying to stave off the moment when they would have to commit themselves either to comradeship or war until he knew Deep Blue's decision. And then, thought Zakuro bitterly, his would probably be the same. It was ridiculous. Just when and why had her brother, Chief of the Fujiwara tribe, started to become so – so… _submissive_ to that tyrant? She could see it happening. It wasn't right, and she hated it. But she couldn't see a way to make Pai admit it, even to himself, or a way forward. She had no solution.

But one thing was for sure – she had to actually talk to these people. Not just sit in a ring sizing one another up and neatly avoiding all the real issues - actually talk. And if Pai wouldn't... well, she thought, maybe it was time to take matters into her own hands.

Zakuro came to a halt and turned around to face her brother. "Pai, I'm going for a walk, she said firmly. "I'll see you back at the camp. Feed Suika for me, will you?"

Pai took a step forward, his face confused. "Zakuro, what are you doing?"

"I told you, I'm going for a walk. Don't worry, I won't be too long."

He sighed. "Alright. I'll see you... later, Zakuro-chan."

Zakuro didn't reply past a nod, heading away from the surprised-looking group through the trees. After a few yards, she broke into a run, heading back the way she had come, but a little toward the north, against the wind. Not too far away, she could smell people.

_I'll talk to these people, and decide what to do myself. Then I'll talk it over with Pai, and we can do what's best, even if it means going against Deep Blue for good. _


	6. Chapter Five: Invitation

**It has been too long guys. Far, far too long. xD We've all been rather busy with various things, school or otherwise, so we're just now getting this chapter up, even though it's been finished for nearly a week. ^^; The chapter after this one is nearly ready to be posted, so you can (probably) expect that one fairly soon. :3 **

**Also, I have a request to make on behalf of all of the authors who are writing this fic: _Participate, guys!_ D: It's awesome that you like this story enough to read it and add it to your story alerts and your favourites, and we all appreciate that, don't get me wrong. :3 But since we're all working so hard to write this (admittedly rather complicated) story for you guys, we would definitely appreciate it if you'd all take the time to participate in the contest (which is actually mostly the point of this fic xD) and guess who the author for each chapter is. Even just a random guess would make us happy. x3 And there might be a shiny request one-shot in it for you if you get the most guesses right! :D**

**Or, if you don't feel like guessing, even just telling us what you did/didn't like, what was good and what wasn't, would help us a lot. If you're an author on this site, you've got to know how frustrating it is to post a chapter or a one-shot and not get any feedback, or to have no one participate in your contests. So if you tell us what we're doing right, we can keep doing it and hopefully write even better stories for you guys. **

**Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing and guessing for every chapter. :) You guys are what's keeping this fic going (I'll stop rambling now xD).**

**~Gypsy**

* * *

"I believe in instinct, not in reason. When reason is right, nine times out of ten it is impotent. And when it prevails, nine times out of ten it is wrong." ~A.C. Benson

* * *

**Chapter Five: Invitation**

Zakuro sprinted through the forest skilfully, the wind sending her hair in tow behind her. As the forest was not part of her clan's territory - and therefore deemed unfamiliar surroundings - it was almost surprising that she had dodged outward branches and leaped over logs without impacting her speed. She remained as fast as ever, but when the wind changed direction - followed by an eerie whistling sound - her instincts insisted she slow down, which she did, taking the weather in her stride valiantly.

And her instincts were correct to insist this upon her, for her ears could now detect a conversation in progress at a frequency previously drowned out by the wind.  
The scent of others, presumably members of either Sea or Bird clans, was growing increasingly stronger - It came with the faint aroma of wild raspberries, which at least gave her an idea of the location these people were currently situated at.

Zakuro came to an immediate halt on the outskirts of the forest. She gazed at the cliff beyond it sternly and caught a whiff of raspberries again. It confirmed her suspicion that whatever was up there had to be them - the Sea people; foragers, perhaps. She thought it slightly odd that picking ripe fruit from random bushes was their sole responsibility in a clan.

_But their rank is not important, _she reminded herself._ They will pass my message on all the same. _And with that thought secured in mind Zakuro set out to climb the cliff, its shadow decreasing in size as the sun proceeded to abandon the sky slowly.

Along with the setting of the sun, the frolicking on the cliff top came to an ignominious end. Lettuce was the first to realize it when she noticed an orange glow cast itself over Mint's usually pale face - now her skin was the colour of fresh carrots. "We should leave before its dark. Your village is further away than ours, Minto." She glanced over to the bushes, where Kish was absent-mindedly devouring all the raspberries on the cliff top. She could see Masaya in an attempt to retrieve a handful of fruit for himself, but Kish seemed to be playfully blocking his way on purpose.

Mint blinked repeatedly, somewhat confused at her friend's remark until she realised dusk was approaching and nodded. "But shouldn't Kisshu and I collect some raspberries, for the journey back?"

"I think Kisshu's had enough!" Masaya laughed. "Give me the fruit, Kisshu-san!" He tackled his friend to the ground, almost succeeding in sustaining a headlock. But Kish was sly, and he dodged the move easily. He could always rely on Masaya to let him slide intentionally.

Kish clasped his hand around a raspberry, plucking it from the precious bush. He tossed it up into the air and caught it with precision. He kept repeating the process, knowing Masaya's watchful eyes were tracing the movement in intrigue. "I'll give you the fruit, Masaya." Kish tossed the raspberry again, but this time he decided to try a different direction and soon it fell upon Masaya's unsuspecting head.

"Ow." Masaya was rubbing his head lightly when an innocent smile crept onto his face. "So you want war, huh?" He retrieved a raspberry from the ground.

Mint rolled her eyes in the background. "Children."

Lettuce suppressed a giggle.

"Oh, c'mon, Minto-chan!" Kish whined, having overheard the comment. "We took the newcomers to our leaders all by ourselves, didn't we?"

Mint averted her gaze to the ground, where a daisy had sprouted from the grass. "Well..." She let the word slur on her tongue.

"I hadn't realised we'd forgotten about them." Masaya approached the girls and sat down, inching close beside Mint subconsciously. He glanced at his raspberry for a mere second, deciding against throwing it at Kish and sinking his teeth into the ripe fruit. If Mint thought he was a child he, wanted to prove to her otherwise. "What did you think of their clan leader, Retasu?"

Lettuce raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Masaya shrugged, swallowing the last of his raspberry. It formed a lump in his throat before sliding down his gullet slowly. "Well... how did he come across to you? Was he... disciplined? Hell-bent on declaring war against us?"

"Bloodthirsty? _Lustful?_" Kish piped in, cocky grin on show at the latter of his words. It seemed to have an effect on Lettuce as well; her face flushed in a mild blush.

Mint scowled, stepping in. "Lustful? Oh, puh-lease, Kisshu. We're trying to have a serious discussion here!"

"I know." Kish winked. "Just messin' with you." He moved a hand to ruffle Mint's hair, but it was slapped away quickly.

Lettuce contemplated the contributions quietly, slightly uncomfortable with the predicament. _His name was... Pai? Yes, Pai-san. Disciplined, perhaps... it's a quality for leadership. What's the word I'm looking for…? _Her mind started to wander, stumbling onto the memory of yesterday, when he caught her – yes, _caught_ her – after she'd fallen from the tree. She smiled to herself as she recalled that moment in time. _That's it, a gentleman! Scary, perhaps, but a gentleman. He must be... Either that or he's quite deceiving._

"Why are you smiling?"

Lettuce was jolted from her daydreaming. "Um, w-well... what?" She burst into laughter awkwardly.

"Hmm." Mint sounded, brushing her fingers over her chin delicately. Suddenly a peculiar rustle came from the bushes.

"Kisshu?" Mint asked politely, though her voice had a bitter edge to it. Kish shrugged; his ribbons fluttered about him, tasting the wind. Lettuce's ribbons stiffened at the noise, as did Masaya's. Her eyes darted around the area briefly, identifying movement in one of the bushes.

"O-Oh..." Lettuce held her breath hesitantly as an opening was made in the bush, splitting it in half. Mint, Kish and Masaya were looking at her now with the odd exchange of worried glances, though their attention was lured away as soon as they traced Lettuce's focus to that same bush. A vaguely familiar presence entered their sanctuary, as the woman removed twigs from her hair in one sharp swipe of her long fingers. Her eyes, a deep violet hue, locked themselves onto Lettuce's.

Lettuce gasped before clamping her mouth tightly shut. These eyes were cold and stern, yet they were definitely searching for something. Luckily they relieved Lettuce of their gaze in a matter of seconds, continuing by studying the others silently. Masaya tried to return the eye contact directed at him and his friends, but almost looked ready to retreat into a nutshell instead. Kish blinked as though to register what was happening, and couldn't resist breaking the silence first. "You're...?"

"Zakuro." She stated boldly, finishing the sentence. "You escorted us to the village," she added, and mustered a small smile of gratitude at him.

Kish nodded, smiling weakly. But Mint, for one, did not warm to the supposed idea of acting like allies. In fact, she assumed the expression was insincere. She huffed quietly and crossed her arms.

Mint stood up tall, though she barely cleared half of Zakuro's height. Zakuro easily towered over her as the dominant of the two.

"Why are you here?" She demanded, eyes hard.

The smile was gone as soon as Mint spoke. Zakuro's eyes flickered briefly as she addressed Lettuce. "I have a proposition for your clans. An invitiation."

Lettuce paused, stumbling slightly over her words. What was this? "An i-invitation?"

"To what?" Mint interjected, quick to jump in. Kish nudged her in the stomach lightly, only to receive a rather more painful nudge back. Zakuro maintained her composure throughout the rude interruption, allowing the smile to return, but more noticeably. An invitation was held in the highest regard in her clan, and hopefully these other clans held it in the same regard. "Yes. A midsummer festival." She bowed her head. "It's a tradition of our tribes. I am here to personally invite you all."

Lettuce was surprised, taken aback even. A midsummer festival? _We share that tradition with the Bird clan… _she pondered, surprised. Her eyes were transfixed on a spot of bark for a moment. She watched black dots scurry upwards into the treetops. Ants, she figured.

She met Zakuro's gaze with the same intensity. "But why, Zakuro-san?"

"We're neighbours now, aren't we?" Zakuro replied smoothly, turning her head to examine the bushes. She spotted a raspberry and tore it from the hull. Instead of devouring the fruit like everyone else – especially Mint – had expected her to, Zakuro ripped it in half and extended a piece to Lettuce. "Eat."

Lettuce froze. She didn't know how to react. Should she ignore the peace offering? Should she refuse? Should she accept? Her eyes locked gazes with each of her friends' - Mint, Kish and Masaya in turn - but none held the answer. It was entirely up to her.

"Thank you." Lettuce smiled and nodded curtly, reaching out to wrap her fingers around the piece. She heard Mint gasp when her hand touched Zakuro's as she retrieved it from the older girl's palm carefully. "Um... when is this f-festival?"

Zakuro was smiling genuinely now. It was a bold decision for a seemingly feeble girl. "Tomorrow night. This is a very important event for my clan – missing it after being formally invited would be unwise."

"I understand, but I hold no authority over my clan, or the Birds. I'll have to consult my uncle, Keiichiro, who will consult the Bird clan."

Zakuro nodded. "And I'll inform my brother and the Ikisatashis."

Mint was in awe. _Maybe she's not our enemy. Maybe this invitation is a peace offering, not a trap?_

"Farewell." Zakuro addressed everyone this time - with a real smile - before turning and running back whence she came. The four people left standing on the cliff top had no doubt that she would indeed tell the rest of her tribe and the Ikisatshis of this invitation. There was no backing out now.

Masaya exhaled, relaxing slightly. He saw the exhaustion on Lettuce's face and concluded that asking questions of her now would be cruel. "Let's go," he declared drowsily, suppressing a yawn.

"But-" Mint protested.

"But nothing," Masaya smiled lightly, masking his own worry. "Unless you want to worry your village, we just have to go with it."

Mint pouted, giving in quickly. "Alright." She began to walk away grudgingly, looking over to Lettuce. She hadn't budged at all since accepting the 'peace offering'. "Coming, Retasu?"

Lettuce shook her head without attempting to initiate eye contact. "No, thanks. I think I'll stay to welcome the moon."

"Oh." Mint's shoulders drooped slightly in disappointment, but it was pushed to the back of her mind when Kish joined her by her side.

"Not too long, Retasu." Masaya warned. "Keiichiro will kill me otherwise!"

Lettuce giggled. "Don't worry, Masaya. Goodnight."

"'Night." Masaya jogged off to catch up with the others. He was looking forward to walking beside Mint. However the hopeful spark in his eyes faded slightly as he saw her already indulged in polite conversation with Kish; he decided against joining them and lingered at the back. Neither of his friends had even noticed his arrival.

"I think the moon, you know, matches your complexion," Kish was saying off-handedly.

Mint fought the blush on her cheeks hesitantly. "Thank you, Kisshu."

Masaya sighed. He mentally braced himself for a long walk back.

The moon was positioned in the sky perfectly, casting an eerie white glow on the cliff top. Lettuce was gazing up at it quietly, listening to Pudding as she frolicked around the bushes. They shook when she brushed past each one, reminding Lettuce of the surreal events from earlier which played out before her. Although her strange friend hadn't visited throughout the ordeal of the arrival of two more clans, Pudding still managed to find her perched upon a rock as she gazed at the moon, and seized her loneliness as an opportunity to drop in.

Lettuce had been meaning to ask something. "Purin-san."

"Yes?"

Lettuce inhaled the cool night air briefly. "Why did you leave before? Does fire scare you? Or smoke?" She saw Pudding's face fall, as though experiencing a flashback, and distinguished the hurt in her eyes from the usual hollow emptiness. "You can tell me, Purin-san," she persisted.

Pudding focused on the grass which surrounded them. It seemed a darker shade of green in the night. "I know, Retasu." She tilted her head up and looked directly at Lettuce. She etched a smile onto her lips and hoped it was convincing enough. "Nothing scares Purin, no da!"

Lettuce bowed her head and placed a hand over the other on her lap. "I wish nothing scared me."

"Even the brave have fear, 'nee-chan!" Pudding giggled. "Promise Purin you'll be brave, na no da?"

Lettuce blinked in surprise. Could she really keep that promise for her?

She smiled. "I promise, Purin-san."

"Then let's go skinny dipping!" Pudding grabbed Lettuce's hand and pulled, bringing the Sea clan member to her feet.

She panicked. "N-no, Purin-san! It's late a-a-and-"

Pudding rubbed the back of her head shyly. "I was only kidding, onee-chan!"

Lettuce burst into laughter. She was not just relieved but happy to know such tense circumstances hadn't stunted her ability to laugh again.


	7. Chapter Six: Festival

**Howdy, y'all! :D (pft I'm not from Tennessee xD) This was quick, wasn't it? We're all just speedy writers, I guess. :3 Anywhats, Kiichigo-chan has reminded me to remind all of _you _that the chapter before this one marked the end of Round One. This means all of us have now written one chapter, and the order will be starting over again, starting with this chapter. So you can now reuse your guesses, people (That is, if you're guessing. 'Cuz you know, we _really _want you guys to guess. It makes our collective days. Really.). :D That's all for now.**

**~Gypsy**

* * *

'_The lid of the flesh-pot chattered high,  
'The knives were whetted and – then came I...  
'So we plunged the hand to the mid-wrist deep  
'In a cinnamon stew of the fat-tailed sheep.' _

-_"_The Ballad of the King's Jest" by Rudyard Kipling.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Festival**

Pai stood up to his knees in the brisk-flowing stream, sluicing water over his face and arms. The water was like crystal; he could see the stones that made up the river bed, smashed and diffracted by his own splashing. There was a fish too: a large one, beautifully speckled, beating its tail slowly against the current. Pai straightened up and grinned. This place was perfect.

"These Ikisatashis get more brazen every day," Shio grumbled behind him. "Fetching warriors just to gather wood! And sending you to scout –" He stopped.

"I sent myself," Pai said lightly. "And I don't object to a scouting run now and again."

"You shouldn't have gone, maybe," Shio ventured. A Chief of the Fujiwaras was not to be talked down to or crossed, but he had known Pai since boyhood. "A chief shouldn't be seen running his own errands, especially by a lot like _them._"

"But he should be willing and able to perform any task he asks of his people, ne?" Pai answered. "Besides, I wanted to see the terrain first-hand, and be sure the job was done well. Admit it: I'm a better tracker than most."

"Only because you've got nothing else to practise," Shio muttered, very quietly. Pai snorted and ducked his head into the water again.

"I mean it, though," Shio said when he had resurfaced. "A tribe without an heir is a floating tribe. Vulnerable."

"I have a successor," Pai pointed out. "Do you object to my sister?" It might have been a very dangerous question, but his tone was still light.

"The people all love Zakuro," Shio assured him. "But the Ikisatashis...they're funny about women. You need to get yourself a girlfriend, Pai."

Pai turned, scaled the bank in a single bound and leapt at him. Shio jumped to defend himself, but a swift kick from Pai knocked his legs out from under him, and next moment both of them were sprawling on the ground.

"Ooof!" Shio gasped as the chief's weight landed across his stomach. Pai cuffed him twice and rolled clear, and by the time Shio had sat up he was back at the edge of the bank, nonchalantly wringing the water from his hair.

"What was that for?" Shio demanded, panting.

"_I'll _say who needs a girlfriend," Pai growled.

"Pai?"

Both men turned to see Zakuro approaching from the tents. She carried a wide wooden bowl of reddish-brown paste in one hand and Pai's festival cloak rolled up in the other. She set them both down, looked Pai over and frowned.

"You're still sopping wet! When you dragged me over here to paint you up I assumed you'd at least be ready!"

"You talk as though I were unreasonable," Pai said. "It's fitting for you to help me prepare."

"Only because you've got no-one else," Zakuro grumbled. She dipped her fist into the bowl and pressed it to the left side of his chest, leaving a paw-shaped mark. "You need to get yourself a girlfriend."

Pai grabbed her deftly round the waist and tossed her into the river.

"Why are you fighting everybody today, Pai-san?" Shio asked bemusedly.

"I just _told _you,' Zakuro called, shocked but undaunted, floundering up the bank. "It's because he needs a girlfriend!"

Pai shoved her squarely in the chest, sending her tumbling back into the stream. Shio snorted with laughter and Pai glowered reprovingly.

"Repressed desires!" Zakuro shouted, spluttering up out of the water.

"Repressed nothing!" Pai shouted back.

"Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend!" Zakuro shrieked, splashing him with each word. Pai yelled in protest and plunged back into the stream, feeling his blood rise as the clear, balmy air filled his lungs. This was a good place. He caught hold of Zakuro and hefted her up over his shoulder, pointing her head down towards the water.

"No!" Zakuro cried, legs flailing in the air. "No, Pai, that's not fair – !"

He was about to dunk her when Shio seized him round the shoulders. He felt himself yanked backwards and dropped Zakuro. She jumped on him as Shio kicked his knees out from behind, and all three of them went toppling over in a laughing, thrashing tangle of limbs.

There was a faint cough from the bank.

Pai struggled to his feet, puffing and blowing, and saw Deep Blue standing on the bank. The laughter evaporated. The Cat leader was watching them with the faintest of sneers, or so it seemed to Pai in his current position. He couldn't believe his luck. Deep Blue never doffed his ceremonial panther skin, never relaxed his air of cool detachment, and here was he, Pai, play-fighting in the stream, dripping wet and clad in nothing but a pair of deerskin leggings. Beside him Shio shook his head like a dog, spraying them all with water.

"Pai-san," Deep Blue said at last. His tone was perfectly cool. "I was wondering if I might speak with you for a moment about the celebrations tonight?"

"He's not dressed," Zakuro said, somewhat unnecessarily in Pai's opinion. "I need to paint the clan prints."

"I'll need to dry off first or the paint won't stick," Pai said placatingly. "Shall we walk, Deep Blue-sama, and you can tell me what it is you want to say. I'll be back in just a moment, Zakuro."

Before she could argue he scaled the bank and approached Deep Blue. As he did so he did his best to throw off his discomfort. Had any of them ever seen the Ikisatashi leader win a fight or follow a trail, or share a moment with his people? No. And he was slender, for all he might try to hide it beneath his bulky panther hide. Pai stretched his arms above his head, flexing his muscles from shoulders to hips, and then asked:

"Well, Deep Blue-sama?"

"It was a good idea of your sister's." Deep Blue began to speak in a voice that did not carry, at the same time setting a swift course away from the bank and the two Fujiwaras. "Of Zakuro's. Inviting the two native tribes to the feast. We might learn much tonight."

"Actually I was under the impression that Zakuro invited them as guests," Pai said brusquely. "Is it our custom to spy on guests?"

"If possible no, of course not," Deep Blue's tone sounded more soothing than sincere. "And I admire your honourable intentions. All the same, we must put our own people first, must we not? We wouldn't want these natives to become a danger."

"To be perfectly frank, I don't think they're at all likely to become a danger," Pai said. "I never saw a gentler people."

"Hmmm," Deep Blue said, and then he suddenly stopped and put his hand on Pai's shoulder. It was the lightest of touches, but it stopped him dead in his tracks, and he flinched instinctively away. The hand was cold. "Look," Deep Blue said simply, pointing. Pai followed his gaze and saw a small brown bird, perched on a bramble nearby, with a berry in its beak.

"Harmless enough," Deep Blue said, "but it eats and another bird doesn't. It lives and others don't. This is the nature of life." He paused. "_All _competition is dangerous."

"I see what you mean," Pai answered, shifting away from his hand. "Very well; we shall all keep our ears open. And now I must get back to Zakuro. She is impatient if kept waiting, even by a great chieftain such as yourself."

"Ah, Zakuro," Deep Blue said. "A singular woman."

"Yes," Pai answered, turning back towards the river.

"So self-sufficient, with that wolf of hers...tell me, does either of you look to be married in the near future?"

"No," Pai grunted. He felt that there was some purpose behind this question that was quite unrelated to his own romantic prospects, but he couldn't pin it down.

"A great shame, especially for someone as comely as your sister. But come to the festival tonight, and maybe I can find a woman among my warriors who will take your fancy. A chief ought to be married."

"Mmmm-hm," Pai murmured, lost in a golden dream of shoving the King of Cats into the briskly-flowing stream and watching him flounder.

They reached the river bank, where Shio and Zakuro were sitting side by side in disgruntled solidarity. Deep Blue gave a nod and sheared off towards the camp, and Pai went to join the two Wolves.

"What did he want?" Zakuro growled, standing.

"Just a few last-minute preparations for the festival," Pai answered. "He thinks I should get a girlfriend too."

"If _he_ thinks so then I just might change my mind," Zakuro said. She picked up the wooden bowl and began re-painting the prints on his chest. "But I'm not convinced he does. He's a man who always says one thing and means...just the opposite."

"He offered me an Ikisatashi warrior," Pai said.

"I'll bet he did," Zakuro muttered.

"What do you mean?" Pai asked.

"Nothing. Just that a marriage may bind more things than one. There." Zakuro made the finishing touches to his paint, draped the cloak across his shoulders and smiled grimly. "You'll do."

"Minto-san?"

Lettuce had slipped away from her family and along the moving column of Midorikawas and Aizawas until she found Mint, walking with Ryou and his hunters. She tapped her friend on the shoulder and gestured, and Mint nodded and fell back until they were walking in the gap between two groups, relatively alone.

"What is it, Lettuce?" Mint whispered back.

Lettuce extended her ribbons, tasting the breeze. What they were doing – walking, the whole tribe, towards the camp of the strangers – felt horribly dangerous, though she told herself that rationally speaking it was safe. She could sense all the signs of a tribe preparing to feast: smoke, roasting meat, voices and the yapping of playing dogs. Her people knew the land; if they were attacked they could scatter and disappear. And yet...

"I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" Mint said in a snappy sort of way. "Scared that you'll run into Pai-sama again?" They had all heard the story of Lettuce's first encounter with a Fujiwara, yesterday in the raspberry patch.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Lettuce moaned, burying her face in her hands. It wasn't a phrase she used often and Mint, somewhat surprised, shut up.

"I mean it, though," Lettuce continued. "I'm scared. Not about tonight, but about tomorrow, and the time after. Did you _see_ those warriors that came up to our camp? They could finish us, Minto."

"But why would they want to? There's plenty of land around and no-one in it."

"Yes, but we've got by far the best spot. And those warriors...that Mugi, remember, the Cat, he looked like he'd _rather_ fight than not."

"He was a brute, I'll grant you, but some of them seemed alright. That Ichigo was a pain but she didn't look dangerous, and Zakuro..." Mint paused, staring into space for a moment. "Well, she didn't seem bad at all. And she invited us to the feast."

"Mmm," Lettuce said doubtfully. She fingered the seashell clasp that Pudding had given her, which was fastened in her hair above her left ear. What had happened to her? Had her tribe been scattered? Would a traveller in a few months be encountering Midorikawa and Aizawa children wandering in the woods, completely alone? She shook her head. She was exaggerating, surely.

"And if we get into trouble Kisshu and Masaya can always protect us," Mint went on. "Remember how they went to meet the warriors yesterday? And took them prisoner with fishing spears?"

"Don't make fun, Minto," Lettuce said quietly.

"I wasn't making fun," Mint said. "I thought it was brave. But don't be scared, Retasu-chan." She took hold of Lettuce's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm sure it'll be OK."

Lettuce nodded and swallowed, turning to stare ahead again. The ground began to slope uphill, and as they climbed they could begin to make out a flickering glow lighting up the trees and bushes ahead, and then she and Mint topped the rise and they could see the camp of the Wolves and Cats spread out before them.

The tents were arranged in a circle around a roaring fire. It was traditional among the Midorikawas and Aizawas to have a fire for the midsummer festival, but Lettuce had never seen one this big. It snapped and crackled greedily, great tongues of flame licking towards the sky and tossing billows of sparks into the air, and the blue summer evening seemed dark around it. Beside it two men worked, half-naked in the heat, spitting a dead buck and turning it over the flames. A pair of hounds, more wolf than dog, were tussling over a marrow-bone beside one of the tents, but more reassuringly there were also several children, running and play-fighting, clearly excited by the feast. She could not see Pai, or anyone else that she recognised.

As the Midorikawas began to enter the camp, the dogs broke off their fighting and started to bark. One advanced, growling, but a woman appeared out of the nearby tent and cuffed it away. People were beginning to gather towards the centre of the camp, staring at the newcomers but not approaching or speaking. Lettuce felt a bead of sweat sliding down her spine, but then a voice spoke from the other side of the fire.

"Is that you, Keiichiro-san?"

Pai appeared, walking towards them with his hands outstretched in a gesture of welcome, his warriors behind him. Lettuce ducked her head and dropped back to stand behind Mint as he approached them.

"Hai," Keiichiro answered, "with Ryou-san, and our tribes."

Each man made the gesture of his tribe, respectfully bowing his head, and Keiichiro immediately stepped into the role of gracious diplomat.

"We are grateful for your invitation to come and meet the rest of your people, Pai-san. It is an auspicious night for a new beginning."

"Hai." Pai hesitated awkwardly for a moment, and then gestured back towards the people by the fire. "This is Deep Blue, the chief of the Ikisatashi tribe."

A stillness settled over the gathering. Lettuce, who had been staring at her feet, looked up sharply as a man detached himself from the others and moved to stand beside Pai. For a moment her eyes struggled to make sense of the strange shape of his head and shoulders, and then she realised that he was wearing the skin of some great cat, its jaw resting on the crown of his head, its paws hanging over his shoulders. In the firelight the fur looked pure black. As he turned slightly she saw a gleam of white about his throat. He wore the beast's teeth around his neck.

"Deep Blue-sama, I am proud to meet you," Keiichiro said. He and Ryou bowed and gestured again. Deep Blue responded with a faint nod.

There was a ripple of unease among the Midorikawas and Aizawas, and Lettuce heard Kish give a hiss from somewhere to her left, while Mint spluttered faintly beside her. Some of the Wolves were fidgeting as well, and when Pai spoke again it was clear that he was embarrassed by the behaviour of his ally.

"We are all glad of your presence. Our hunters have done well today; please, come and eat with us now."

"Thank you. We have also brought food of our own." Keiichiro gestured to several Midorikawas who were carrying baskets. "There is good fishing here, and plenty of fruit in this season. If the plants here are strange to you, my people will show you which are good to eat."

"Thank you," Pai nodded. "That will be very welcome."

"Come _on_," Mint groaned quietly, shifting from foot to foot. "Why don't they _do_ something?"

Lettuce nodded; she was feeling more awkward by the second. But at that moment, Zakuro appeared.

There was something in her manner that instantly relaxed the watching tribes. She moved easily, swift but unhurried, paying no heed to the tension around her. Skirting the fire, she scanned the gathering until she spotted Lettuce and Mint, and immediately crossed to them.

"Midorikawa Retasu," she said, embracing Lettuce and kissing her on both cheeks. She turned to Mint and did the same. "Aizawa Minto. Where are Kisshu-san and Masaya-san?" She craned her neck, searching among the Midorikawas until she spotted them, then smiling and nodding. "I am very glad that you could come," she said, the ring of sincerity in her voice. "Well, come on then! Show us what you have brought, and we can eat." She took Lettuce by the hand and pulled. Lettuce gave a squeak of protest as she was drawn towards the fire, into the very centre of the people's focus, but then she realised that the crowd, released by Zakuro, was beginning to break up. The Midorikawa and Fujiwara women moved to the fire and began to bury the shellfish they had brought in the hot ashes, while the men set to work gutting fish and stringing them up to roast. People were taking coals and using them to light smaller satellite fires round the central blaze, more manageable for heating stew and baking bread. Lettuce saw a small boy step up to one of the children from the Sea tribe and say loudly:

"I'm seven summers old! How old're you?"

"Come on," Zakuro said. She led Lettuce and Mint around the huge central fire to a wide circle of seating logs. It was almost empty, the majority of the tribe being busy with preparations, but a group of girls were sitting round a small cooking fire, giggling as they shredded thyme and sorrel into the pot hung over it. Lettuce recognised Ichigo at once. She was chatting to a couple of other girls, also Cats, judging by the reddish tint in their hair. The other four were Fujiwaras, dark-haired and long-limbed like Zakuro. Zakuro crouched down among them, beckoning Mint and Lettuce to the log beside her, and said:

"These are Retasu and Minto, who I told you about. Retasu's Midorikawa, Minto's Aizawa."

"Retasu," one of the Ikisatashi girls said, turning to Lettuce. Lettuce tensed. She had always found girls en masse difficult to deal with.

"Aren't you the girl who stalked Pai-sama through the woods and landed on his head?" the Ikisatashi girl asked.

Lettuce made a faint moaning sound and buried her face in her arms.

"I wish I'd seen that," one of the Fujiwaras laughed. "Pai-sama caught by surprise!"

"It must have been brilliant," the first girl said. She eyed Lettuce approvingly. "Excellent tactics."

"Ano...tactics?" Lettuce echoed.

"She thinks you did it on purpose," the Fujiwara said with an eye-roll. "I'm Gari, by the way. And this is Sudachi, who has a fixation with our chief."

"I tell you, if one could only get to know him –" Sudachi insisted.

"You're absolutely right," Zakuro said. "Shame about the part where he doesn't speak."

Ichigo giggled. Lettuce caught her eye and the red-headed girl grinned. She didn't look so frightening to Lettuce anymore; more light-hearted and girlish than dangerous. Lettuce felt herself begin to relax a little. Gari scooped up a spoonful of stew from the pot and smelled it, and then Zakuro's wolf ambled over and lay down beside them.

"Don't be scared," Zakuro said, as both Mint and Lettuce flinched away. "She won't bite. Really, she won't. You can pet her if you want."

It was the last thing she wanted, but Lettuce made herself lean over and rub her hand between the pricked grey ears.

"Good girl, Suika," Zakuro crooned soothingly, as the wolf stared intently at Lettuce, weighing her up. Zakuro fished a piece of meat out of the cooking skin and dangled it above Suika's head. Lettuce flinched as the powerful jaws opened wide, snapping at the titbit.

"Oy, that's our food!" Ichigo grumbled. Lettuce noticed that none of the other Ikisatashi girls looked completely relaxed either, and that made her feel less like a coward. She scratched Suika's ears more firmly, and the wolf relaxed, letting her tongue loll out, and then rolled right over onto her side. Lettuce and Mint buried their fingers in the cream-coloured fur on her belly and Suika flopped backwards, her expression so like a grin of delight that Lettuce giggled.

"See?" Zakuro said. "She's sweet as honey. Just like my brother, deep down."

"Ichigo!"

A small boy came pelting out of the shadows and leapt on Ichigo from behind, but she rolled with him and allowed the momentum to bring her out on top, pinning him to the ground.

"Aww!" he complained. "Lemme up, hag!"

"This is Taruto," she said to Mint and Lettuce, dragging him up by the arm. "He's a baka and he has no respect."

"Your brother?" Lettuce guessed. Ichigo rolled her eyes.

"Hai, worse luck." She turned to the boy. "Go away."

"Who you gonna dance with then, Ichigo?" he asked, bouncing up and down in her face. "Who you gonna –"

"SHOO!" the three Ikisatashis yelled together. Tart jumped backwards and sloped away, muttering.

"Annoying brat," Ichigo muttered. Zakuro shook her head.

The meat was done. The men carried the spitted deer into the centre of the circle and began to cut it up, while others brought fish, fruit and stew. Someone passed Lettuce a hunk of bread and a dripping slice of meat, and she suddenly found herself ravenously hungry. She worried for a moment about whether to dig in or behave formally, but it seemed to be a free-for-all. The other girls ate like wolves, tearing off strips with their teeth, using pieces of bread to ladle the rich, tangy stew from pot to mouth, spitting fish bones at the fire. The oysters and mussels had them flummoxed at first, but Lettuce and Mint showed them how to lever the shells open with a knife or crack them between flat stones. The girls squealed when they saw the slimy creatures inside, and shrieked even louder when Lettuce and Mint slurped them out of their shells without a second thought.

"Retasu! Minto!" Kish called, walking over with Masaya following. He was gnawing on a partridge leg, his fingers slick with grease. "This is some party, ne?"

"Hai," Lettuce said, and realised that it was true. She was enjoying herself. The mix of foods, the roaring of the colossal fire, the babble of strange voices were all exciting. Kish folded himself down on the ground beside her and nodded to Zakuro.

"Hello, Zakuro-san."

"Hello Kisshu-san, Masaya-san," she smiled back.

"Hey, it's our warriors!" Ichigo called, laughing. Kish's gaze flicked up to meet hers.

"Hey Ichigo," he said cheerfully.

"Warriors?" one of the other Cats questioned. Ichigo turned to her, grinning.

"Yes, didn't I tell you? When we were on our way to their camp yesterday to negotiate, we didn't pass entirely unmolested. These two jumped out onto the path and demanded that we stop and explain ourselves!" She began to giggle. Masaya was blushing, but Kish held her gaze, unabashed.

"It was worth it to meet you, Koneko-chan," he grinned.

"Koneko-chan?" Ichigo spluttered. Kish smirked at her. "I'll Koneko-chan you!" she declared, jumping across the fire. She grabbed hold of Kish's shoulders, shoving him backwards, but he began to tickle her under the arms and she doubled over, laughing.

"Ooof, I'm too full for this," he grunted, pushing her off him. The group subsided into silence, each of them staring idly into the fire. Most people had finished eating now, and men were moving the log benches, widening the circle to enclose the big fire. Someone gave a drum a few experimental thumps, and there was a whoop from the other side of the ring.

"Ha," Zakuro said. "Time to dance."

A Wolf man made his way into the middle of the circle, carrying a large stringed instrument. He settled himself on the ground, sticking his legs out either side of it, resting the neck on his shoulder, and began to pluck slowly on the strings, rippling up and down. Others joined him, a small group of them, playing their instruments testingly for one another, each finding their place in the ensemble, with no steady pulse or tune as of yet. But the beat grew more tangible, the bursts of music more sustained, and the movement of the people to and fro began to change, shifting slowly from walking to dance. Lettuce felt her own feet jiggling in time with the drum.

Then a woman sang, a long, melismatic note, part song, part wolfen howl, and Lettuce felt the whole gathering move. The different instruments suddenly twisted together into a driving, insistent tune, and the girls around Lettuce all jumped to their feet, so suddenly that she instinctively jumped too.

People began to clap in time. They were moving with the rhythm of the music, and that movement was swiftly turning to dance. The man with the stringed instrument played a long flourish, and the Wolves began to sing. Lettuce had never heard the words they used before, but the chant was short and simple, easy to pick up, and she and Mint were soon singing along, whirling and clapping their hands in time. Lettuce began to relax and move, because the traditions of song and dance were familiar to her, though this was wilder than anything she'd done before. Then suddenly an Ikisatashi boy, maybe a few years older than Kish, dashed forward and sprang, tucking himself into a ball and turning right over in the air before landing lightly on his feet in the centre of the circle. The dancers cheered, applauding his skill, and he turned and held out his hand to a girl at the front of the ring. She took it, and they began to dance wildly, their feet sliding and kicking up the summer dust. Others joined them, in pairs or groups, while the circle of tribespeople kept up the chant. The music was growing more complex and more beautiful, with thicker harmonies and half-shouted descants, and fast, twanging ornaments from the stringed instrument. It was obviously an old, well-known song. It could have as many or as few parts as were available, and everybody knew their task within it.

_Later,_ Lettuce thought, _we'll teach them some of our midsummer songs...the Leaping Salmon, and the song of the flood tides..._

"Will you dance with us?"

Lettuce snapped out of her dancing-trance, to see two Wolf warriors standing in front of them. The one who had spoken was holding his hand out towards Sudachi, and the other, behind him, was looking almost shyly towards Mint. The other girls, keen to be in on the fate of one of their number, stopped dancing, their attention focused on the men.

"Hai," Sudachi blushed, putting her hand in the Fujiwara warrior's. Despite what she had said about Pai earlier, she seemed perfectly happy with this invitation. _A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush_, Lettuce reflected, _and who really wants to be the wife of a chief, when it comes down to it?_

Sudachi stepped out to stand beside the warrior, who was now waiting for his friend. The other man turned to Mint, cleared his throat gruffly and said:

"I'm sorry, I don't know your name..."

"Aizawa Minto," Mint stammered.

"Will you dance with me?"

"Ano..." Mint stared at her feet. "I...I would like to, but you must ask my guardian for permission first. Sorry," she whispered, meeting his eyes, "it's the way of my tribe."

He swallowed his disappointment quickly, and smiled. "That's fine; I understand, Minto-san." He hesitated, and then the two of them moved off to join the dance.

"Wait," Ichigo said the moment they were out of earshot. "You're not allowed to _dance_?"

"Of course I'm allowed to dance!" Mint snapped back. "Just not without my next of kin knowing and consenting first! And I wouldn't be bothered either, except that for me that's Ryou-san, and he...well, he can be strict."

"Oh," Ichigo said, and turned away, beginning to move to the music again.

"Will he let you dance with one of us?" Zakuro asked quietly.

"I don't know." Mint sounded subdued. "He's my cousin, you see. His father and mine are both dead, and he...he takes my protection very seriously."

"And he doesn't trust us," Zakuro said.

"No, no, Zakuro-sama, he –"

"It's alright," Zakuro said, with a wry grin. "If I were him I wouldn't trust us either. I know we must look quite scary to your lot."

"No, not really. I think you look...impressive, a bit. Noble. And special." Mint ducked her head shyly.

"Thanks," Zakuro said, grinning more broadly now, and then she backed out into the circle and began to dance alone. Suika bounded over and stood up on her hind legs, resting her paws on Zakuro's shoulders. She growled playfully and Zakuro growled back, gripping the thick fur and mock-wrestling two and fro. Mint watched her for a moment, then turned back to Lettuce.

"I don't think Ryou-san is going to like the idea of me dancing with a Fujiwara, really, but he's sure to let me dance with someone. He knows everybody in our tribes well, after all. I'll go ask now. Hey, Kisshu –"

But Kisshu was on the far side of the cluster of people, unable to hear her call over the music, and at that moment Ichigo put her hand on his arm. She said something, laughing, and then began to pull him into the middle of the circle. He followed, wrapping an arm around her waist as he went, beginning to move together with her. They joined the whirling dancers and were gone.

"Minto-san..." Lettuce whispered. Mint was standing stock-still, staring after them; she had not moved or spoken. Masaya appeared on her other side and looked at Lettuce, his face just as horrified as hers.

"Minto?" he said, touching her shoulder.

"That _bitch_!" Mint cried suddenly. She began to sob.

"Oh, Minto-chan," Masaya said. "Don't cry, it's alright..." And he pulled her into his arms.

Deep Blue and Pai stood apart from the dancers, outside the circle of firelight.

"How would you say the festival is progressing, Pai-san?" Deep Blue asked quietly.

"Everybody seems to be getting along very well."

"Hmm," Deep Blue murmured. Was it Pai's imagination, or did he detect a faint note of displeasure in the Ikisatashi chief's voice?

"There is Keiichiro, by the fire," Deep Blue continued. "He hasn't moved all evening. He looks thoughtful, don't you think?"

"I expect he is wondering how relations between our tribes will progress in the long run, just as we are." Pai's tone was vaguer than it had been a moment ago; he had just caught sight of Lettuce and the boy who had accosted his embassy – Masaya – standing on the far side of the fire from them. Masaya was embracing a dark-haired girl, and Pai's eyes flicked instinctively away, landing on Lettuce instead.

"Where is Ryou?" Deep Blue asked suddenly, his tone sharper. "I don't see him."

"Just there," Pai murmured, nodding his head forwards. The Aizawa chief was storming towards the place where Lettuce, Masaya and their friend stood.

Lettuce jumped backwards with a yelp of shock as Ryou appeared out of nowhere, seizing Masaya's shoulder and wrenching him away from Mint.

"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted. "You think just because we're among strangers you can touch an Aizawa woman?"

"I'm sorry, Ryou-sama, I meant no harm –"

"Get away from her! Get away and keep away!"

"Ryou," Mint protested, "you know Masaya, he's my close friend. Of course he wouldn't try any –"

Ryou rounded on her.

"You're right. I hold you partially responsible, Minto. You clearly can't be trusted any more than Masaya here. Go home."

Mint gaped. "I will _not_! That's not fair!"

"Please, Ryou-sama," Lettuce broke in. "Please, don't punish Minto-san, and don't be angry with Masaya. They weren't doing anything wrong, and I was right here..."

"Oh," Ryou snorted, but his expression softened very slightly. "_You_ were here."

"He was only trying to comfort her," Lettuce pleaded.

"Comfort her?" Ryou repeated. "About what?"

"Ano..." Lettuce faltered. "That is, uh...Kisshu...uhm..."

"Thanks, Retasu," Mint muttered.

"_What_ has been going _on_ here?" Ryou demanded, his voice rising again. Lettuce darted forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Please, Ryou-san," she said beseechingly, "nobody's done anything wrong..."

Zakuro left the dance, panting, and immediately spotted her brother brooding in the shadow of the tents. He wore his post-encounter-with-Deep-Blue expression, and he was staring intently past the fire. She headed over to join him.

"Having fun, onii-chan?"

He threw her a withering glance and then went back to his staring.

"What are you watching?"

"A little confrontation," he answered, pointing. Zakuro looked in the direction he indicated and saw the Aizawa chief, bearing over Mint. Even over the sounds of music and dancing, her sensitive ears caught the angry tone of his voice.

"Oh dear," she murmured. "Minto-san's in trouble."

They watched as Lettuce moved to intercede, placing a hand on his shoulder and speaking words they couldn't catch. As she spoke, Ryou seemed to subside a very little.

"The Aizawa chief seems soothed by Midorikawa Retasu," Pai observed.

"He does indeed. Your point?"

"There is no point," Pai said hastily. "I was merely speculating. It's useful to know the relationships between these people for future –"

"Uh-huh," Zakuro said sceptically. "If you're so worried, you could always intervene."

"What are you talking about, Zakuro?" Pai demanded, but she was already walking away. Pai shook his head and turned back to the scene they had been watching.

"Ryou."

Keiichiro appeared at Ryou's shoulder, and Lettuce thanked her stars. She knew that he was about the only person to whom Ryou would listen.

"Leave the children alone now," he said reasonably, taking Ryou by the arm. "I can vouch for Masaya and for Lettuce. If they say that it was innocent, then I'm sure it was. And please lower your voice. People are staring."

Ryou glanced uneasily round, and saw that they had indeed begun to attract curious attention. He sighed and relaxed.

"Very well. Maybe I was mistaken. Minto, you don't have to go home. You may stand by that tree and watch the dance."

"That's complete –" Mint began, but Keiichiro cut her off.

"Minto, please do as your cousin tells you," he said, then turned his back to Ryou and mouthed, "_I'll try to bring him round._" Mint nodded and stumped off in the direction of the tree Ryou had indicated. The two chieftains walked off in the opposite direction, and Lettuce and Masaya were left on their own.

"Oh, Masaya-kun," Lettuce breathed.

"It's OK," Masaya said, rubbing a hand through his hair. His voice was shaky, but he tried to smile. "...do you want to dance?"

"Do you?" she asked.

"Not really," he admitted. They both turned to watch the dancing again. The clapping circle that had begun the celebration had broken up, the most enthusiastic dancers all out in the middle, around the musicians – while the less energetic – lounged around the log seats, talking and eating. She and Masaya stood a little way back, in the darkness beneath the trees that edged the camp. She felt sad for Masaya still, but also strangely peaceful. It felt safe and quiet in the shadows here, observing the party but not part of it. Somehow, though, she felt a little wistful...

"Excuse me?"

Lettuce turned and found herself face to face with Pai.

She gave a gasp and began to start backwards, but came up against Masaya's shoulder and managed to hold her ground. But only just. She had stared at her feet when Pai welcomed them, but she couldn't avoid looking at him now. In the dusk his eyes looked black, highlighted with glints of reflected frame. She took a deep breath, focused on the warmth of Masaya's shoulder pressing into her back, and managed to speak.

"Pai-sama."

"Midorikawa Retasu," he returned, inclining his head. He raised one hand, extending it a little way towards her. "Dance with me?"

She felt as though she was plunging downwards. The blood roared in her ears, and she couldn't seem to form a coherent thought, much less a sentence. Dance with _him_? How could she say yes? But equally, how could she reasonably say no?

But he wasn't growing angry at her lack of response. She blinked though her confusion, and saw that he was looking past her now, questioningly, at Masaya.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Is she your –"

"No!" Masaya said hastily, backing away with his hands spread out in front of him. "No, no, we're not..."

Lettuce looked at him desperately, but it was too late; he'd already denied it. _Don't leave me like this!_ she wanted to howl, but he was already hurrying away towards the fire. She watched after him for a moment, then gritted her teeth and turned back to Pai.

"Retasu?" he prompted, surprisingly gently.

"Hai," she said, because there was nothing else that she could say. "I would be honoured to dance with you, Pai-sama."

There was no smile to show whether he was pleased by her acceptance or not. He just took her hand and led her back towards the dance. They had arrived during a short break in the music; the musicians were swigging water and flexing their fingers, while the dancers stood about, catching their breath. She and Pai took their place among them, and the firelight fell across his head and shoulders. At their first meeting she had been distracted with shock and fear, but now there was no immediate danger to stop her from really seeing – and she found herself, for a moment, unable to look away.

He wore a headdress of what looked like eagle feathers, but longer than she had ever seen before, and a kind of bright, burnished tan in colour. Like Deep Blue, he had a string of wolf fangs around his neck, and a long cloak hung from his shoulders, patterned with earthy red and green. Beneath it he was naked from the waist up, and his chest was stamped with paw prints in red ochre, drawing the eye. She took in the shape of his muscles, his dark, puckered nipples and the line of hair that cut down across his belly, and a sudden flood of hot-and-cold shivers gushed across her skin, twisting her stomach so sharply that she nearly gasped in shock.

"They're golden eagle."

"Nani?" Lettuce jumped and blushed.

"The feathers come from a bird called the golden eagle," Pai explained. "They lived in the mountains where we used to hunt."

As he spoke the music began again. The frantic beats and chords had slowed now, and only the man with the stringed instrument was playing, accompanied by a wooden block that gave a hollow _toc_ when struck. They began to move slowly with the music. Lettuce noticed that Pai moved almost awkwardly, in contrast with his earlier grace, and this made her feel the slightest bit braver.

"They must be splendid," she said, "golden eagles."

"Yes," Pai nodded, "but they're dangerous too. Very large; they can blind a person who strays too close when they're nesting. But they have their honour too, like all the beasts of prey. There were many creatures like that in the high mountains. The wolves, of course, and cats." He paused, thoughtfully. "It was a beautiful place."

"Why didn't you stay there?" Lettuce asked, because she thought he sounded wistful.

"Do you wish we had?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes.

"Ano..." Lettuce floundered. "No, of course not...I mean, I –"

Pai seemed to decide that it was an unfair question, and cut her off. "It was a good place, maybe," he said, "for a young hunter. Not so good for a family. It was cold."

His voice faded away, and at that moment the man with the instrument began to sing.

Listening carefully, she now realised that the words were in a dialect of the language she used, but so strange and distorted that she couldn't pick out more than a phrase here and there. As the dance led them close past the players, she thought Pai glanced at the singer sharply, but he was playing with half-closed eyes, lost in his song. It was beautiful. She could hear rhythm and expression in the words, even though she couldn't understand what they said.

"Have you been down to the sea, Pai-sama?" she half-whispered.

"I've seen it from a distance," he replied, "but I haven't had the chance to get close."

"It's beautiful too," she said. "Maybe you'll be happy here."

"Maybe." His fingers brushed very lightly over her hair, finding the seashell clasp. His voice took on a more direct note. "Who gave you this?"

"I –" Lettuce stiffened. It seemed an innocent enough thing to ask, but she remembered her promise to herself not to answer any more of his questions. "A friend."

"A friend?" he echoed, barely moving now. Lettuce stuck out her chin and looked him in the eye.

"Yes."

"A friend," he said again, a statement this time, giving a slight nod. His face cleared a little – of what? Sadness? Suddenly she wondered if there had been a different purpose behind his question than the one she'd seen.

"What is the use of these?" he asked suddenly, gesturing towards her ribbons. As he reached out to touch them she instinctively drew them back under her hair. At the same time she felt a flash of anger. Was that why he had asked her to dance? So that he could pump her for yet more information?

"That's my secret," she answered shortly.

"I'm sorry." He seemed genuinely abashed. "I keep frightening you, don't I? But I'm honestly just curious. You don't have to answer." He smiled at her, a friendlier smile than the one he'd given her when they first met in the forest. It reminded her suddenly of Suika's toothy grin, and she felt a spurt of sadness. He was without a doubt the most overwhelmingly handsome man who had ever asked her to dance, but she couldn't enjoy it because she couldn't trust him. At that moment the singer played a long, slow ripple on his instrument, bringing the song to a close, and abruptly she found that she was near tears. The dance was over, and all she had done was worry. She could smell Pai's sweat, and the damp clay scent of the ochre, pulling her in. But the dance was ending.

At that moment the singer called out.

"Hey, Pai!"

As they turned towards him he waved. Lettuce looked at him in surprise; his mellow, dreamy singing was thoroughly at odds with the jaunty grin he was wearing now.

"So you decided to take my advice, Pai-san?" he asked, looking at Lettuce.

"Go away," Pai called back. He turned to Lettuce.

"That is Shio," he said, with something very close to an eye-roll. "He's a baka."

Lettuce found herself smiling in response. Behind them, the man named Shio laughed and began to play another tune, faster and more cheerful. Pai's arms settled around her once more, and Lettuce blinked in surprise.

Apparently, they were to dance again.


	8. Chapter Seven: Cat Eyes

**N/A: Gomen! This chapter has been finished for ages. Since the task of actually posting each chapter and checking for continuity falls to me, it's entirely my fault that it's been so long since the last update. Life sneaks up on you, you know? ^^; Anyway. There isn't much more to say here, other than that we don't have as many people participating as we'd hoped. D: We'd all really appreciate some feedback, and since the whole point (well most of it) of this story is for people to participate in the contest, some of that be cool too. x3 **

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"We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive." - Martin Luther King Jr.

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**Chapter Seven: Cat-Eyes**

Tart was bored. Nobody had talked to him all evening other than a couple of wimpy Midorikawa kids who had wandered off and left him after the play-fighting had got a little too rough for them. So now he was just drifting about, watching the grown-ups having fun, and wishing that he had somebody to play with.

He reached a log and flopped down, munching morosely on a chunk of roasted fish in his hand and sporadically spitting bones into the fire. A high-pitched laugh drifted across to him and he looked up to see none other than his own big sister, dancing with some green-haired Midorikawa guy who Tart didn't recognise. They looked like they were having fun. Ichigo was laughing practically every time the boy spoke. Tart glanced at his sister scornfully – she _fancied_ the boy, he could tell. Tart watched the couple for a little while longer, debating whether he should go over and embarrass Ichigo in front of her boyfriend. He decided against it. The old hag was still bigger than him, and she would definitely fight him after the Midorikawa had left.

There was nothing to do! Tart looked up at his sister one more time, but all her attention was on the boy next to her. He felt anger welling up inside him at the injustice of it all, and swung suddenly off the log, turning around and stomping out of the clearing into the surrounding brush.

Everybody was having fun except for him. It wasn't fair. Well, they should just wait. They hadn't paid any attention to him all evening. Nobody was even scolding him for wandering off. Soon they would be worried, when they realised he was lost. Ichigo would be sorry she hadn't noticed him.

Tart moved through the brush quickly and angrily, pushing brambles aside, and then, as the plants grew bigger, ducking under branches and stepping over fallen trunks. He took a quick glance over his shoulder. Nobody was looking for him yet. He could still hear music and laughter coming from the clearing.

Maybe they wouldn't ever notice he was gone. Maybe he would wander through these forests as a lone warrior, fending for himself for the rest of his life. Tart slowed down and began to dawdle, his mind drifting as he imagined it. He would be forgotten by all of them and then, one day, he would come back and save them all from some awful danger. Deep Blue-sama would be dead by then, so they would all beg him to be their Chief, but he would refuse, and disappear back into the forest, a brave and lonely hero...

A branch popped somewhere above him.

Tart froze, his eyes searching about him for the source of the noise. Suddenly he realised he could barely hear the noise of the festival anymore, and he couldn't tell which direction it was in. Without the fire, the still night suddenly seemed very dark and cold, and Tart found himself wishing he was back by the camp again. And – and there was something in the branches above him...

His imagination conjured a thousand awful images of the mysterious threat that hung, unseen, over his head. He gulped, moving toward a tree and stood with his back to it, protected, at least, from behind. He was an Ikisatashi. He could see in the dark as well as any predator – but suddenly, Tart was afraid of what he would see.

He could hear his heart thumping in his ears as he flattened himself against the tree and balled his fingers into fists. A spurt of adrenaline rushed through him as he gritted his teeth, took a shuddering breath, and looked up into the branches.

Directly above him, hanging in the tree he stood against, was a small girl.

Her scream was his scream, and the night air rung briefly with their shock and fear. Then Tart came to his senses. It was just a girl – probably bored of the party, just like him, and just as he was. He turned around, his fear forgotten, and shinned rapidly up the tree, calling to her with a sharp "hey!"

But he suddenly realised that, while his fear had disappeared the moment he saw her face, she had turned away from him and fled through the branches. Perplexed, he moved after her, wondering at the agility with which she leapt and swung from tree to tree.

"Hey," he called again, "wait up! What are you –" but then she made a mistake in her panic and lost her footing. As she scrabbled to stay on her branch, he caught her up and seized her by the arm. He could see his reflective eyes mirrored in her dark ones for a split second as they stood unsteadily in the tree. And then he realised, with a jolt, that her eyes were widening with pure, unbridled terror.

And then the girl went completely crazy. She gave a long, strangled scream and began to thrash at him wildly, upsetting his balance and sending them both crashing through the branches. They landed with a thud in the leaf-litter on the forest floor, and the girl immediately scrambled to her feet, standing over Tart with her hands in tight, trembling fists.

"Come and fight me, you coward, na no da! Purin is not afraid! Come on! _Fight!_'

Tart stared up at her, totally and completely confused. "What on Earth are you on about?" he said slowly. "Purin? Is that your name? Why would I want to fight you?"

"Purin will never tell you where they are hidden! You'll kill me before I tell you!"

"Who? What? I don't understand you! I don't know who you are!"

And then she launched herself at him.

Tart forgot his shock and fear as he jerked upright to engage her. She yelled and hammered his chest with her fists, until he grabbed her wrists and twisted them away. He levered himself upright and landed a few good kicks of his own, and then pain exploded in his middle and he realised she had head-butted him in the stomach. Confused and angry, Tart shouted out loud and redoubled his efforts, barging his weight into Pudding's shoulders and kicking her legs out from under her. They both went crashing to the ground for a second time, but now he had pinned her.

"_Explain!_" he panted. "Who are you? Why are you fighting me? What have I done?"

Suddenly, Pudding stopped struggling. Her eyes bored into his, and though she trembled violently, her stare was unwavering. "You aren't... one of them? But you have..."

Tart wriggled off her and put his hands in front of him, his tribal gesture for a truce. "I'm not going to hurt you. I don't know why you're afraid."

Suddenly, Pudding screwed her eyes shut and burst into tears.

Tart was at a loss. His jaw dropped and he stared at her for a few seconds, trying to understand. Why was she crying? What in Deep Blue's name had made her so upset?

He wriggled up so that he was on his knees, and shuffled over to where the girl sat, sobbing and sobbing with no break. He put an arm awkwardly around her shoulders, and patted her on the back, saying, "There, there," the way his own mother had done to him when he had been unable to keep from crying. But he had never cried like this – why, he had never had cause to! What was wrong with her?

Pudding felt his arm on her back and latched on to him with surprising strength, burying her hot face in his shoulder. Tart just sat as still as he could, trying not to do anything that would upset her more and patting her again and again on the shoulder.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, Pudding's huge, hacking sobs quieted and she sniffled quietly, taking huge, gulping breaths to calm herself. Tart tried to gently prise her off him, but she stuck fast, and he eventually realised that she was saying something.

"It was your eyes, no da... just like their eyes... you see, they came in the night and they had glowing eyes... they followed us into the branches... but Papa hid us... he put us inside the hollow tree... he told me to keep Heicha and the others safe... and then... he went back out... and I covered their eyes and their ears, but I saw... they killed Mama and Yuebin... they killed _everyone!" _And then Pudding was sobbing again.

Tart shifted himself, beginning to guess what had happened. Pudding and her family had clearly been attacked by some group of big cats or other, leaving her with no parents, and, from what she had said, some younger siblings to look after. Tart was well accustomed to this sort of tragedy. Older members of his tribe often talked of attacks from mountain lions or wolves that left children orphaned or whole families wiped out. Tart had always shuddered as these stories were told, trying to resist peeking out of his tent to check there were no awful animals lurking outside. And when she had seen his bright, reflective eyes glowing in the dark, she had jumped to conclusions and thought it was the Predators coming back for her and her siblings.

That was the reason they were slowly moving south, Deep Blue-sama had said: to avoid such tragedies continuing. But did this maybe happen in the South too? Maybe there were animals even more vicious than the beasts of the North. Tart suppressed a shudder at the thought of an animal that could cause such devastation as that which Pudding had witnessed, and suddenly wished himself very strongly back around the bright, warm fire.

He scrambled to his feet and looked down at the girl who still sat on the ground, staring at her small, roughened bare feet. "Will you be alright now?" he asked awkwardly.

She took a deep breath, and when she spoke, it was with surprising calmness, as though she had gained control over herself once again. "Yes," she said to her feet, "yes, Purin will be alright."

"I'd better, um, go then," Tart began to back away in the vague direction from which he had come, sniffing the air to pick out the comforting smells of charcoal and roasted food.

"Wait," she said suddenly, and he stopped unwillingly, wishing to be away. "What's your name?"

"Um…" Tart scrambled, trying to collect his wits and answer her, "I am Taruto Ikisatashi."

The girl smiled a little, although her reddened eyes never lifted from the ground. "Thank you very much for comforting me, Taruto-kun. I hope I'll see you again."

"Yeah. You too," Tart managed, and then turned and hurried as fast as could in the direction of the fire and the camp.

As he ran, he mulled over everything that had happened in his mind. Perhaps the girl called Pudding had been overreacting. Tart knew that girls cried a lot more easily than boys. Ichigo still sometimes cried, although she was eight summers older than him. And one of the Midorikawa girls had started bawling just this evening, when he had tugged one of her ribbon things and hung on. Maybe Pudding was just remembering a nightmare – after all, he had been scared, hadn't he, when he had been on his own in the dark woods. Her parents were probably somewhere around this fire, enjoying the food and talking about boring grown-up things.

Tart began to regret not bringing her back with him, instead of leaving her to sit on her own in the forest. She might get lost, or scared again – and he might not be able to find out which tribe she was from so they could meet each other again. But she wouldn't be in danger, he told himself. Of course not. Because this was a good place. Deep Blue-sama had told them so, lots of times. The South was safe, so the people were soft.

But as the first flickerings of fire became visible through the trees, Tart couldn't help but remember how terrified she had looked when she had seen his eyes, and the awful way she had sobbed and sobbed as though a strong dam of a thousand tears had been broken. He hoped he would never have to see anyone cry that way again.

And then Tart broke the tree line and came back into the light of the camp-fire, and almost immediately his sister's worried voice was shrieking his name and he was being pulled bodily towards the centre of the circle. Everybody had been looking for him, apparently, the other children, and some Midorikawas ('lovely Kisshu-kun and his friend and Retasu'), and even Pai-sama, and they had all been worried he had wandered off into the forest and gotten lost forever. So he had to answer questions for a long time, and be annoyed because _of course _he wouldn't get_ lost_, and push all thoughts of the funny girl who he had found in a tree to the back of his mind; at least for the moment.

* * *

The party was beginning to break up around them.

The music had ceased and the players were slinging their instruments onto their backs or packing them into deer-skin bags, laughing and joking and un-cramping their fingers. Now and again a stray note or two would float through the air or a person would sing a few bars, cutting over the low chatter that filled the camp.

Women were disassembling the wood spits that hung over the glowing embers of the huge, dying fire, while others gathered their families together and collected belongings. People were saying goodbyes, trading names and tribes, laughing over a last joke. The red-haired Ikisatashi girl appeared out of the shadows by the wood's edge, talking loudly and angrily to her little brother who had been lost.

In short, Pai was witnessing the aftermath of a successful party.

His gaze drifted over to where his sister and Lettuce were talking to a large group of women from his own tribe. As he watched, one of the women passed Lettuce a pouch of some spice or other and Zakuro said something which made the whole group laugh. The extent to which the members of both the Fujiwaras and the Ikisatashis had bonded with these people was more than he had dared to hope for. There had been a few tussles, naturally, but no more than there were at any festival, and certainly, everywhere he had looked there had been people from every tribe talking and eating and generally having a good time. Everyone had enjoyed it, and people had shared food and made friendships with members of other tribes, himself included.

Or at least, nearly everyone.

Pai looked to where Deep Blue stood alone, his cold eyes surveying the scene in front of him, clearly very much annoyed. He felt a flicker of anger stir within him as he watched the Chieftain's expression. Deep Blue's tribe was happy. They liked the land, they liked the people, and Pai could tell that they liked the peace. His father had always taught him that a tribe's happiness should always be a chieftain's priority. So why couldn't he just leave well enough alone?

But as he watched, the Chief's attention seemed to focus, and a light of interest came into his eyes. Pai followed his gaze, and realised that Deep Blue's attention was on a group of Ikisatashi warriors who were standing just within the circle of light given off by the fire's embers. Pai could tell even in the dim light that they were very drunk. Near them stood a group of young Aizawa women, all slim figures, golden hair and sidelong glances. Suddenly one of the Ikisatashi men – that big brute Mugi – shouted out to the Aizawa women, catching their attention.

Pai remembered certain customs of the Aizawa tribe. He looked over at Deep Blue-sama, and knew he did too.

Pai's eyes left Deep Blue and watched as the scene unfolded.

"Hoy, beautiful girls," Mugi shouted, tossing his flask down and focussing all his attention on the group. "Come over here."

Encouraged by Mugi, the other Ikisatashi men took up the chorus. "Yeah, won't you come over here?"

"Have some fun for once!"

"You know you want to, pretty birds." The joke sent the group of men laughing raucously.

"You're not afraid of a few cats, are you, chicks?"

A slighter, dark-haired girl – with a jolt of apprehension, Pai recognised her as Mint, the Chief's cousin – detached herself from the group and marched towards the offending men. "I will not have you treat my kinswomen and me with such disrespect." She said in a clear, carrying voice, capturing the attention of everybody who was not yet watching the standoff. "You are intoxicated. Please regain control of yourselves, or you will be very sorry."

There was a moment of silence, and then the Ikisatashis let out a high-pitched, mocking "ooooohhh!", before laughing again.

"Oh, this one's tough! I'm truly scared now!" jeered Mugi, laughing with his face impertinently close to Mint's. "You think you are so high-up, Princess? I think you need to be taught a little respect!" He lurched forward, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. The other Aizawa women shrieked in shock.

"STOP!"

Suddenly there were Aizawa men sprinting toward the scene from all across the camp. Ryou was the first to appear, roughly yanking his cousin's arm away from Mugi and spinning her behind him. Ryou strode forward and pushed Mugi roughly in the chest.

"If you ever touch her again – " he spat.

Mugi's initial shock was over. "Get away from me, bird-brain, or you'll feel the sharp end of my spear!"

"If you insult our tribe one more time, it will be you and your _friends_ who suffer."

More Aizawa men were coming all the time, forming a barrier in front of the women and menacing the group of Ikisatashi men. Two tall, muscular Aizawas appeared at Ryou's sides and raised their spears aggressively. The Ikisatashis hissed back, and a few slipped instinctively into their low, feline fighting stances.

One of the Aizawa women screamed, and Mint hushed her sharply. But more yells were breaking out all around the fire as people clustered closer, squinting in the dim light of the flames to see what was happening, readying themselves for the fight. Pai glanced over at Deep Blue, and saw the expression of vindictive glee on his face –

Pai was across the circle in a flash, placing himself between the two groups. "Break it up!" he barked, placing his hands on Ryou and Mugi's chests, and pushing them calmly but firmly apart. "We don't want any fighting. Put that weapon down, Mugi-san, and Ryou-sama, please get a hold of yourself. We –" he grouped himself reluctantly with the drunken gang he was holding back "- are not quite used to the customs of your tribe, yet."

Mugi bared his teeth, and lifted his hand as though to strike Pai away from him. Pai turned to him and flashed him a warning glance, allowing his teeth to pull into the hint of a snarl. Mugi met his eyes, froze, and then slowly lowered his hand.

"Quite right, Pai-san," suddenly Keiichiro was beside him, radiating diplomacy and herding the Aizawa men backwards. Turning around, he could see Lettuce and Zakuro appearing on the scene, calming down the seething Aizawa women and talking quietly to Mint.

Keiichiro placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder and spoke placatingly. "Ryou-sama, the Aizawa's customs are honourable, and though it has been a blessing to have such a diverse gathering here tonight, you will remember that – especially under the intoxication of wine – everyone can make mistakes." Ryou locked eyes with the Midorikawa chief for a moment, and then sighed heavily.

"I will let it pass, then, this time," he said grudgingly, casting a reluctant grimace over to where Mugi and the other Ikisatashis stood, "but this is the second occasion this evening that Aizawa values have been compromised. I demand that a concerted effort to respect our customs should be made next time we meet, by _all _the clans." Ryou flashed Keiichiro a significant look, and then motioned to the tall Aizawa warriors next to him.

"Shiso, Kabu, I think it will be fitting if the Aizawas leave now." The men turned reluctantly away, casting the Ikisatashis mutinous glances over their shoulders.

Pai felt the sudden change in the atmosphere around him; people wanted to be away quickly now, before anything serious happened. People were shouting hurried goodbyes and picking up their last few things. Keiichiro continued to talk light-heartedly to the Ikisatashi men, who, rather shaken with the suddenness with which the supposedly peaceful Aizawas had turned on them, were willing for the most part to let it go, though Mugi and a few others hung sullenly in the background, still fingering their weapons. Pai glanced over to where Deep Blue was standing, still in the shadows. Pai realised that Deep Blue's gaze was trained on Keiichiro, with an expression of annoyed distaste.

"He's disappointed."

Pai jumped. Zakuro was at his elbow, eyeing Deep Blue distrustfully.

"Do you really think so?" Pai said quietly. "Why would any Chief want unnecessary conflict for his tribe?"

Zakuro laughed. "Any _good _Chief_. _A tyrant like Deep Blue over there is another matter. Now stop looking at him, or he'll notice."

Pai sighed and turned away. "The Ikisatashis are a powerful tribe, and so are we. But I'm afraid that Deep Blue – and certain members of his clan – would shed blood even if there was no need for it. I mean, I would fight for this land, willingly, if I believed my tribe would go hungry if I didn't, but Deep Blue - "

"Are you sure about that?"

"Sure about what?"

Zakuro smiled.

Pai stiffened. "What are you implying, sister?"

"I'm just saying that you're lucky that we don't need to fight. Otherwise, I think you'd be in a very awkward situation indeed, Pai-kun."

"Stop being cryptic. If you have something to say, say it."

Zakuro shrugged, and then turned around as Lettuce came towards them with Suika in tow.

"The Aizawa women are calming down now," she reported, "and they're saying goodbye to some women from the Ikisatashi tribe now, so I don't think any bridges have been burnt for them. The men are another matter." She grimaced. "Here's Suika." She gave the wolf an awkward pat on the flank.

"I think she likes you," Zakuro told Lettuce.

Lettuce smiled. "I like her."

There was a moment of silence. Then Mint's loud, clear voice echoed across the camp. "Retasu! We're going now!"

"Coming!" Lettuce called, and began to move away.

"Thank-you so much for inviting us all, Zakuro-sama. I hope to see you soon," Lettuce bowed her head, and then turned to Pai. "And, ano, goodbye, Pai-sama. I hope to see you again also." She was silent for a moment, and then she said, "Thank you for dancing with me."

Pai was lost for words for a moment. But then he managed to collect his thoughts, and say shortly, "It was a pleasure. And please, call me Pai-san."

Somehow, even this remark made her cheeks heat up and her ribbons twitch, although she determinedly held his eyes. "Pai-san it is."

"_Retasu!_"

"Good-bye!" Lettuce touched her hand to her tribe mark, placed in the centre of her collar-bone, before turning and hurrying towards the waiting group. Pai returned her gesture, before realising that she wouldn't be able to see.

Then he saw Zakuro looking at him, and jumped, feeling stupid.

She was watching him with an expression of mingled incredulity and amused delight on her face. "Pai-kun, Pai-kun, Pai-kun."

"What?" he asked defensively.

She just shook her head dismissively and motioned to Suika to follow her turning away from him and beginning to walk towards the fire. "Maybe you'll figure it out yourself. But I'm holding my breath."

The Wolf got to her feet with a grunt and looked up at Pai, her deep yellow eyes unfathomable. "Women," Pai muttered. "Suika, do you understand her?"

Then Suika opened her mouth and gave him her craziest grin, tongue lolling to one side in an expression of disconcerting mirth. Even she was in on the joke.

"You're impossible!" Pai shouted after his sister.

Although her back was to him, he could hear her laughing.

* * *

Away from the fire, it seemed very dark and cold.

The Midorikawas and Aizawas walked away from the gathering in one large group and, considering the amount of people, they were unusually subdued. An occasional child would talk loudly into the silence, or someone would sing a few bars of a song, but most people were either silent or talking quietly amongst themselves. The confrontation at the camp had put a damper on everyone's spirits.

There were only two or three hours' real darkness in this night – soon there would be dull light over the sea, and it would be morning. But now, the stars were abundant all over the sky, and the moon was a full orb floating along beside them.

Lettuce, Masaya, Mint and Kish were walking in silence near the back of the group, listening to the incessant chirp of cicadas in the brush and the rustle of grass beneath their feet. Once they hit the main path, they would part ways. And while it felt wrong to leave one another without summing up the evening at all, none of them felt particularly inclined to speak into this silence.

The grasshoppers continued to chirp.

Eventually, Kish could stand it no longer.

"So," he began cautiously. "That was, uh, some party."

There was a moment of silence, and then Masaya cleared his throat and said, "Yeah". Mint sighed loudly.

Five more steps.

"I barely saw any of you for most of it," Kish continued awkwardly, "What were you all doing?"

Mint drew in breath. "Masaya was doing the get-to-know thing with Keiichiro, Retasu was acquainting herself with the Chief of the Wolves and I was standing by a tree watching the dance, prohibited from participating by my dear cousin Ryou." She gestured sharply toward the front of the crowd. "Until, of course, I was assaulted by some moronic member of the Ikisatashi clan – I trust that you weren't so entirely caught up in your own little world that you failed to notice _that, _Kisshu."

"No, I noticed!" Kish said quickly. There was a pause. "Are you... okay?"

Mint stopped walking and rounded on him. "Yes, I am fine! No thanks to you!"

Kish stopped walking too, thoroughly perplexed. "Minto-chan, what's wrong with you?"

"What's _wrong_?" she hissed. "Oh, so now we're not with the Ikisatashis, you've miraculously remembered I exist again?"

Kish looked helplessly at Masaya, who refused to meet his gaze. "Minto-chan – "

"Don't 'Minto-chan' me!" she cried. "I cannot believe you! Let me say two words to you before you call me 'Minto-chan' again, Kisshu, and see if that enlightens you._ Ikisatashi Ichigo!_"

Mint turned and disappeared nimbly through the crowd, leaving Kish to stare after her. Suddenly, realisation showed on his face.

"_Ah."_

"Seriously, Kisshu?" Masaya said. "You hadn't realised?"

"Oh, fish-heads. How was I supposed to know?"

"Well, she's only been flirting with you since like –"

"But I thought it was playful banter!"

"Well, maybe it was, partly, but she's always sort of thought that –"

"But yeah – _how was I supposed to know?"_

"She's really upset, Kisshu."

"Well – "

"Guys!" Lettuce said loudly. Both Masaya and Kisshu stopped talking and turned to her.

"Leave Minto to calm down. Anything you do now will make it worse."

Masaya opened his mouth to speak.

"Masaya, do you really want to end up on the receiving end of Ryou's spear twice in one night?"

He closed it again.

"But Kisshu-kun." Lettuce turned back to Kish. "Do you really like Ichigo-san?"

Kish shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk again. "Do I have to talk about it?"

"We need to know whether this was worth hurting Minto over," Masaya said.

"Come on, we're your best friends," Lettuce added.

"Fine," Kish sighed heavily and stared determinedly at the ground. "Well... yes."

Lettuce and Masaya exchanged alarmed glances.

"She's really cute, and funny, and she's a good dancer. She was so worried about her little brother when we couldn't find him, and she wasn't afraid to hide her feelings. She's kind, all the time." Kish sighed, "the way Minto-chan only is once in a blue moon..."

Someone cleared their throat behind them.

Lettuce, Kish and Masaya jumped, turning quickly to see Keiichiro. He was walking behind them, so silently that they would never have noticed him if he had wished it.

"Keiichiro-sama," Masaya said quickly. "We didn't know you were here."

Keiichiro laughed. "Don't worry. I barely heard anything."

Kish's ribbons twitched uncomfortably.

"I came back here to talk to you about our hosts this evening," Keiichiro continued, "Kisshu, Retasu, I address this statement to you in particular."

Lettuce dropped her gaze as memories of the evening came floating to the forefront of her mind. She hoped it would be too dark for Keiichiro to see the blush that was tinting her cheeks.

"While it's wonderful that you two are already forming relationships with these Ikisatashis and Fujiwaras, I feel that it's my duty as your Chief – and as your uncle, Retasu – to warn you that forming close bonds at this stage of relationships may be risky. While I trust both your judgements of the individual, there is no official alliance between our tribe and theirs as of yet. Until we can be sure they will not attack us, you two should be careful."

Lettuce glanced towards Kish, who met her eyes with a frown. It made her relieved to know that he was taking this situation seriously too.

"So essentially, don't get too far in with these people in case we end up having to kill them?" Kish said.

Keiichiro sighed. "I wouldn't have put it quite like that, Kisshu, but yes, that is what I mean."


End file.
